Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Tennessee State
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Racers Pick Up First OVC Win of the Season at Tennessee State
9/18/2010 5:07:18 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Murray State volleyball team earned its first Ohio Valley Conference victory of the season, with a 3-1 (29-27, 25-27, 25-18, 25-15) win over Tennessee State at Kean Hall.
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The Racers (4-8, 1-1 OVC) were led by senior Sara Hayden, who had her best match of the season so far. The Louisville, Ky., native hit at a .786 (11k-0e-14ta) mark, good for the second-best hitting percentage in school history for 10-14 attempts in a match.
Hayden was one of three MSU hitters with 10+ kills, as seniors Becca Lamb and Ashley Nenninger added 12 and 11, respectively. Junior Kayleah Sauer led the team defensively with a season-best 25 digs. Junior Jade Guo recorded her third double-double of the season, with 13 digs and 42 assists.
The opening set was a tight battle, going into extra points. The Racers opened the set with a 2-0 run and held the lead until late in the set. The closest that MSU allowed the Tigers (3-7, 1-1 OVC) to get was a tie at eight until the last five points of a regulation set. The Tigers went on a 3-0 run late in the set that tied it at 20. From there the teams traded serves and short runs, but it was a 3-0 run at the end that gave MSU the 29-27 win.
The second set was again a close battle that went into extra points. The teams forced 11 tie scores and four lead changes, but in the end it was a service ace that gave the Tigers a 25-27 win and tied the match at one set apiece heading into the intermission.
The opening nine serves of the third set went back-and-forth, until the Racers went on a 5-0 run to take a 10-4 advantage. That was all the cushion MSU needed in the set, as they used a 4-0 run to open the lead to as many as five on its way to a 25-18 victory.
The Racers took the momentum they had from the end of the third set into the fourth. The teams traded the first six serves, but MSU pulled away with a 7-2 run that gave them a five-point lead. The Racers held onto the lead and did not allow the Tigers to cut the deficit to less than two points the rest of the set. MSU earned the set and match victory with a 25-15 mark.
The Racers earned a clear advantage in the hitting percentage column, earning a .324 (61k-15e-142ta) mark to the Tigers .228 (61k-23e-167ta).
MSU will play one more match on the road before hosting the first team in the newly renovated Racer Arena. The Racers travel to face UT Martin, Wednesday, Sep. 22 at 7 p.m.
