Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
UT Martin
Racers Rally for 3-1 Victory Over UT Martin
11/2/2010 11:02:45 PM | Women's Volleyball
MSU was led by its trio of seniors, with Ashley Nenninger leading the team with 21 kills and adding a .276 (21k-5e-58ta) hitting percentage. Senior Sara Hayden tallied her second career double-double with 11 kills and a career-best 11 digs. Becca Lamb added 12 kills and 14 digs for her seventh double-double of the season.
The Racers got off to a very slow start in the opening set, dropping the first five points and falling behind by as many as eight points. MSU then slowly started to chip away at the Skyhawks (5-21, 3-11 OVC) lead before Hayden started a 7-0 run with a kill and then went back to the service line. The run got MSU within one point (14-15) and the teams then traded the next few serves before the Skyhawks pushed out to a three-point advantage (17-20). Junior Kayleah Sauer helped to erase the lead with two quick service aces in a 3-0 run that cut the advantage to two. The Racers were then down 20-21 when Lamb landed a kill and then went back to serve the next five points for MSU, who used a 6-0 run to earn the 25-21 win.
The second set was more of the same as UTM took an early three to four-point lead. The Racers tied the set at 13 and 14, but the Skyhawks again pulled way to take a 19-24 lead. MSU was not done fighting and, with Hayden at the service line, they rallied to tie the set at 24, but UTM closed out the set with a kill and a block to tie the match at one set apiece heading into the intermission.
The third set was again more of the same story, with UTM talking an early 3-8 lead and pushing that advantage to six points (6-12). The Racers again slowly chipped away at the lead with a few small runs and tied the set at 13. The teams traded serves for awhile before the Skyhawks push ahead again before seeing the set tied at 21. The teams traded the next four serves before Cunningham and Lamb ended the set in favor of the Racers with two-straight kills (25-23).
The fourth set was a back-and-fourth battle from the beginning, with nine ties and three lead changes. The Racers again found themselves trailing late in the set (18-21) before a 3-0 run knotted the set at 21 and gave MSU a 22-21 advantage. The lead was quickly erased as the teams traded the next seven serves to tie the set at 25. An untimely service error by the Skyhawks gave MSU a chance at match point and Lamb ended the match with a kill.
The Racers earned a .232 (65k-24e-177ta) hitting percentage in the match to the Skyhawks' .207 (54k-18e-174ta). However UTM had a 9 to 4.5 advantage in the blocking column and a 7-3 lead in service aces. MSU came up strong on defense with 91 digs to UTM's 77.
The Racers will continue their packed week of OVC action with two matches this weekend on the road. MSU first travels to Cookeville, Tenn., to face Tennessee Tech, Friday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. The Racers then go on to Jacksonville, Ala., to face Jacksonville State, Saturday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.
Notes: Senior Sara Hayden is now 67 kills from joining the 1,000 Kill Club at MSU, while fellow senior Ashley Nenninger is 59 away from the same accomplishment…senior Becca Lamb joined the club earlier this season and now has 1,096 kills to her credit...The Racers presented members of the Murray-Calloway County Regional Cancer Center with a check for $3,054.77 as part of the Swinging to Eliminate Cancer fundraising efforts.
