Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Tennessee Tech
Racers Fall in Five-Set Thriller at Tennessee Tech
11/5/2010 10:23:34 PM | Women's Volleyball
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The Racers (13-14, 8-7 OVC) were led by sophomore Cassy Woolverton, who tallied a career-best 21 kills and a .333 (21k-5e-48ta) hitting percentage. Seniors Ashley Nenninger and Sara Hayden also earned double-digit kill totals for MSU. Nenninger added 17, while Hayden netted 13 and a .360 attack percentage (13k-4e-25ta). Freshman Katlyn Hudson was the leader of five players in double-digits in the digs column, with a career-high 20.
The teams traded short runs at the beginning of the opening set, with the Golden Eagles earning a 6-3 advantage before MSU tied the set at seven. TTU tallied the next two points, but it was a 5-0 Racers' run that gave them the lead for good in the set (12-9). MSU continued to add to its advantage with a couple of small runs and earned the 25-20 win.
After trading the first eight serves the Golden Eagles went on one of seven small runs throughout the set to took the lead for good. The Racers struggled to get their momentum going and were held to just one-point at a time in the set and fell 14-25.
The third set saw TTU again jump out to an early lead and hold it for most of the set. MSU was down 7-13 before a 5-0 run brought them within one point. The Golden Eagles countered with a 3-0 run to increase their lead back to four, but the Racers were not done fighting. Trailing 15-18, MSU went on a 6-0 run that gave them the first lead of the set (21-18). TTU followed with a 2-0 run to cut the lead to one, but the Racers had control and went on another 4-1 run to earn the 25-21 win.
The fourth set was a back-and-forth battle for control. Each team held a lead and then saw it dwindle away with runs from the other team. The Racers took a late 21-17 advantage before the Golden Eagles used three small runs to tie the set at 24 and force extra points. The teams battled for the next six points before TTU earned a 27-29 win and forced a fifth set.
The fifth set was a glimpse of the entire match, with 10 tie scores and two lead changes. The Racers took their first lead of the set, 13-12, with a 2-0 run, but TTU regained the advantage and earned the victory with a 3-0 run to win the set and match 13-15.
MSU earned a 89-72 lead in the dig column, but trailed the Golden Eagles in blocking (5-13) and hitting percentage (.237-.241). Another key advantage for TTU was in the service ace column, with a 1-8 lead.
The Racers will continue their last regular-season road trip Saturday, Nov. 6 at Jacksonville State with a 2 p.m. start time.
Notes: This was the 18th five-set match in the series history and the ninth when playing in Cookeville, Tenn….MSU is now 6-12 in those five-set matches…senior Sara Hayden is now 54 kills away from joining the 1,000 Kill Club, while senior Ashley Nenninger is 42 away.
