Racers Sweep Past Tigers For Second Consecutive Victory

Saturday, October 17

Racer Arena

2 p.m.

Murray State

Tennessee State

Racers Sweep Past Tigers For Second Consecutive Victory

10/17/2009 9:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

The Murray State volleyball team kept its winning streak alive with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-15) victory over Tennessee State in Racer Arena. The win moved the Racers record to 5-15 overall and 5-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference and helped keep them in the running to make the OVC Championship Tournament in November.

Junior Sara Hayden had a stand out performance for MSU, with a career-high .750 (10k-1e-12ta) hitting percentage. The Louisville, Ky., native's mark is the second best in school history with 10-14 attack attempts and the third-best with any number of attempts. The rest of the team also did their part to help the Racers to victory, as the team combined for a season-best .356 (40k-9e-87ta) attack percentage.

“It is nice to see the team playing like we knew they could all season long,” said head coach David Schwepker. “I think the confidence level of the team has improved with these two victories.”

Both teams traded 2-1 runs at the beginning of the first set before the Lady Tigers (3-17, 2-7 OVC) took the first advantage with a 5-0 run (7-4). MSU was not about to give up and rattled off a 6-0 run of its own to tie the set at eight and gain a 10-8 lead. TSU tied the set at 10, but that was a close as the Racers let them get to a lead the rest of the set. MSU pushed its lead back out to three points (13-10) and kept it around two or three points. With the scoreboard reading 16-14 in favor of MSU, the Racers took control for good and used an 11-2 run to earn the 25-16 win.

MSU kept the momentum on their side at the beginning of set two and built its lead out to as many as seven points (14-7). The Lady Tigers then started a come-back and cut the deficit to two points (18-16), with a 5-0 run. The Racers then fought back and pushed their lead back to four points (23-18), before TSU made one final push with a 5-2 run but fell short of the win.

At the beginning of the third set the teams traded leads and ties before the Racers were able to break the stalemate with a 5-1 run to take the final advantage of the match (11-7). MSU kept increasing its lead throughout the set and finished the set and match with a 5-1 run for the 25-15 win.

The Racers will remain at home next weekend for two matches that will wrap up the longest home stand of the season. MSU hosts Tennessee Tech, Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m., and league-leading Jacksonville State, Saturday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. in Racer Arena. The weekend is also important for the Racers because it is the weekend of the teams Swinging To Eliminate Cancer fundraiser that will benefit the Gesler Family of Murray.

The team will be busy this week, as they are going to be at The Big Apple Café, Monday, Oct. 19 from 4-8 p.m. for a rebate night for the fundraiser. Patrons of The Big Apple Café are encouraged to donate a portion of their check to the cause all day Monday. The team will be on hand from 4-8 to help the staff refill drinks and to take to customers about the importance of their fundraiser.

Notes: Redshirt freshman Cassy Woolverton saw action in her fourth match of the season when she came in towards the end of set three…she produced right away recording two-straight kills to get the Racers to match-point…sophomore Kayleah Sauer tallied a career-best three service aces…junior Becca Lamb tallied a service ace for the second-straight match after recording her first career ace against Austin Peay, Oct. 16.