Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Southern Illinois
Racers Drop Two Matches at 30th Annual Saluki Invitational
9/12/2009 8:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Murray State volleyball team had a tough day at the 30th Annual Saluki Invitational, dropping matches against Southern Illinois and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In the first match of the day the Racers (0-9) fell short of a victory over the Salukis (9-0), 2-3 (24-26, 25-22, 13-25, 25-15, 10-15). MSU then dropped a three-set decision to the Blazers (5-5), 0-3 (25-27, 23-25,16-25).
In the against UAB of the day, the Racers were led by junior Becca Lamb. The Highland, Ill., native garnered a season-best 13 kills on a .250 (13k-6e-28ta) attack percentage. Lamb also added three blocks and two digs. Sophomore Kayleah Sauer recorded a double-digit dig performance for the seventh-straight match.
Junior Sara Hayden had a stong weekend for MSU and was named to the All-Tournament Team for her efforts. The Louisville, Ky., native hit .410 (20k-4e-39ta) in three matches, while adding 11 blocks, two service aces and two digs.
The Racers opened the first set, against the Blazers, strong with a 7-0 run. When UAB got a chance to serve they tallied a 3-0 run of their own, but that was as close as MSU allowed them to get for most of the set. The Blazers kept battling and eventually pulled the deficit down to just two points (18-20). The teams then traded the next five serves before UAB started a 4-1 run to force extra points. The Blazer's run continued with an 8-3 run to earn the 27-25 win.
The beginning of the second set saw a tight score, but in favor of UAB. The Blazers had a one or two-point lead for the first few points of the set, but the Racers fought back and tied it at seven. The teams then traded runs before MSU used a 4-1 run, with the score tied at 13, to take a 17-14 advantage. UAB quickly tied the set at 17 again and then went on a 5-1 run to take a 22-18 lead. The Racers kept pushing and tied the set at 22, but the Blazers ended the set with a 3-1 run to go up 2-0 at the break.
UAB opened the third set with a 2-0 run, but MSU then took a 4-2 advantage. The lead was short lived as the Blazers then went on a 7-2 run to take the final lead of the match, 9-6. The closest that the Racers pulled the rest of the set was two points as UAB earned the 25-16 win.
For the second-straight match, MSU hit over .200, with a .223 (41k-16e-112ta) mark.
In the first match of the day the Racers (0-8) saw double-digit kill performances from four players and double-digit dig tallies from three. Junior Sara Hayden was one of three MSU players to tally 11 kills in the match. The Louisville, Ky., native also added a .556 (11k-1e-18ta) hitting percentage, five blocks, and one service ace. Fellow junior Ashley Nenninger and sophomore Mary Cunningham added a career-high 10.
Defensively, the Racers saw 10 or more digs from sophomores Kayleah Sauer (18) and Lydia Orf (15).
The opening set was a back-and-forth struggle that took extra points to decide. The Salukis (9-0) took the first advantage with a 2-0 lead before the Racers fought back to tie the set at three. The teams then traded the next four serves until SIU used a 2-0 run to take the lead back. The Salukis kept the score in their favor and built up a 13-8 advantage. MSU then regrouped and rattled off a 7-0 run, with Sauer serving, to take a 15-13 lead. SIU battled back, with a 4-1 run, to reclaim the advantage before the score was again knotted at 17. The Racers then used a 4-0 run to retake the lead (20-17). It looked like MSU had momentum in their favor, but the Salukis held off four set points to force the set into extra points and used a 6-0 run to claim the set victory, 26-24.
The second set started out similar to the first, with SIU opening with a 3-0 run. MSU followed with a 3-0 run of its own before the Salukis added another 3-0 run to take a 6-3 advantage. SIU held onto the lead until the middle of the set, with their largest lead at four points (8-12). The Racers turned up the intensity and went on a 7-3 rally to tie the set at 15 and added three more points in the next five serves to take an 18-16 lead. The Salukis fought back and tied the set at 19 and the teams traded the next four serves. MSU took the final advantage of the set on the next two serves with kills from Nenninger and Hayden. The Racers held on to the lead and headed into the intermission tied with SIU at one-set apiece after the 25-22 win.
Set three started out close, with the Salukis holding at most a three-point advantage. SIU then took control of the energy in the match and pushed its lead out to 10 points, with an 8-0 run. MSU kept fighting through the set, but the deficit was too much to overtake and the Salukis took the 25-13 win.
The momentum of the match again switched in the fourth set, as the Racers came out strong and earned the first two points. SIU fought back to tie the set at four, but MSU responded with a 6-0 run to take the lead for good. The Racers built their lead to as many as 10 points on way to the 25-15 win that forced a fifth and deciding set.
The excitement of a fifth set worked in both teams' favors as they battled through five¬ ties and no team lead by more than two points. Like the previous set, MSU got on the scoreboard first on a kill from Cunningham. The teams then traded several runs before the Salukis went on a 4-0 run to have the advantage at the side switch (8-6) and earn the first lead larger than two points (12-7). The Racers battled back with a 3-0 run to cut the deficit to two-points. But the Saluki lead was too much to overtake, and SIU earned the set and match victory with a 15-10 score.
MSU hit a season high .222 (55k-21e-153ta) in the match and out-hit its opponent for the first time in 2009, as the Salukis hit .205 (61k-27e-166ta). The Racers also out-blocked (9.0-7.0) and out-dug (67-63) SIU.
After three weeks on the road MSU will not only play its first matches in the friendly confines of Racer Arena, but also start the Ohio Valley Conference portion of the season next weekend. The Racers will host Morehead State, Friday, Sep. 18 at 7 p.m. and Eastern Kentucky, Saturday, Sep. 19 at 2 p.m.
Notes: It was the first time this season that MSU had three players record at least 10 digs… Kayleah Sauer tallied her first career kill in a navy and gold uniform against SIU…Logan Su and Sara Hayden added a career-best five blocks…red-shirt freshman Cassy Woolverton saw her second action of the season against UAB.
