Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Southeast Missouri
Racers Fall in Tight Battle at Southeast Missouri
9/21/2011 1:53:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Box Score
The Racers (2-12, 2-1 OVC) were led by a quartet of players with over 10 kills each. Junior Cassy Woolverton led the team with 19 and a .211 (19k-7e-57ta) hitting percentage. Senior Teresa Krog added 18 kills and a .220 (18k-93-41ta) hitting percentage. Sophomore Wendi Zickfield, from Cape Girardeau, Mo., added her fourth double-double of the season (and third-straight) with 15 kills and 11 digs. The final member of the team in double-digit kill totals was senior Mary Cunningham, with 11.
Junior Lia Havili earned her team-leading fifth double-double of the season with a career-best 59 assists and 11 digs.
The first set was a tight battle for control, with 10 ties and four lead changes. The Racers were the first team to earn a lead larger than two points, with a 5-1 run that gave them a 12-9 advantage. The Redhawks (4-10, 2-1 OVC) fought back and took the lead, with a 4-0 run (18-20) before MSU regained control, with a 4-1 run, to take a 22-21 lead. The final tie came at 22, but the Racers finished the set with a 3-0 run for the 25-22 win.
Set two saw SEMO take control of the scoreboard early, with a 4-0 run (6-2). The Redhawks built their lead to as many as nine (20-11) and despite a small push by MSU late in the set kept pushing for the 25-15 win.
The third set was an extended battle, going into extra points. The Racers took the first lead of the set, with a 3-0 run, but SEMO pushed back to tie the set at 12. MSU again pushed ahead to lead by as many as five before a 7-2 run by the Redhawks tied the set at 23. The teams then traded serves until a final 2-0 run gave SEMO the 29-27 win.
The Racers came out fighting in the fourth set and with junior Lydia Orf serving went on a 9-0 run that gave them the lead for the rest of the set (10-3). The Redhawks had several small runs in the set, but MSU earned the 25-15 win to force the fifth-and-deciding set.
The fifth set was a representation of the entire match, with seven ties and three lead changes. The Racers took the first lead of the set, with a 3-0 run to go up 8-5. However, SEMO battled back with a 4-1 run to tie the set at nine. The Redhawks then followed with another 4-0 run to take a 13-10 advantage. The two-point lead was all that they would need as the teams traded the next two serves before a block game SEMO the 15-11 win and match victory.
The teams were evenly matched in most statistical categories, with SEMO earning an advantage in blocks (11 to 5.5) and a slight lead in hitting percentage (.219 to .214). The Racers tallied four service aces to the Redhawks two and garnered five more assists (65-60), but the teams drew even, with 82 digs apiece.
MSU will return to action Friday, Sep. 23 and Saturday, Sep. 24 in the first two OVC matches in Racers Arena. The Racers will face Tennessee Tech Sep. 23 at 7 p.m. and then host Jacksonville State Sep. 24 at 2 p.m.
Notes: This was the Racers first five-set match of the 2011 season.
