Murray State University Athletics
Tuesday, October 4
Racer Arena
7:00 PM
Murray State
vs
SIU Edwardsville
Senior Kayleah Sauer tallied a season-high 31 digs against SIUE earlier this season.
Photo by: Murray State Sports Information
Racers Headed to UT Martin For Fall Break
9/29/2011 11:15:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Murray State volleyball team will have had a week off between matches before it plays again at UT Martin, Saturday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. in Skyhawk Fieldhouse. The Racers will then return home to battle SIU Edwardsville, Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. in Racer Arena.
Scouting UT Martin
The Skyhawks head into weekend action with a 7-7 overall record and a 2-2 mark in Ohio Valley Conference action after losing their last two matches. UTM will have one more chance to improve on its record before the Races come to town, as they host Southeast Missouri, Friday, Sep. 30. The matches with SEMO and MSU will be the first two OVC home matches of the season for UTM, who is 0-3 at Skyhawk Fieldhouse this season.
The Skyhawks are fourth in the nation when it comes to digs, with their 18.8 digs per set. A large majority of those digs comes from the NCAA individual leader in digs, Kasey Elswick (6.89/set). However, UTM is also allowing its opponents to average 17.5 digs per set against them. The rest of the statistical categories are close between the Skyhawks and their opponents, with UTM leading in all but blocks.
The Skyhawks have seven main players on the court, with Elswick, a setter (Jenna Miller) and five hitters that all see close to the same amount of swings. Ashley Doherty has a slight lead in the hitting column, with a .249 (161k-58e-413ta) hitting percentage. Britany Wilburn is next on the list with a .208 (131k-54e-370ta) attack percentage. Doherty and Wilbrun are also two of the team's top blockers with 35 (7-28) and 52 (9-43) blocks, respectively.
MSU will also have to watch the serves sent over the net by UTM. Those to watch more closely are Emily Keaton, Jenna Miller and Elswick. Keaton and Miller have both contributed 14 service aces so far this season, with Elswick adding 10 to help the Skyhawks average 1.1 service aces per set.
The Series
The Racers have a 34-17 advantage in the all-time series with the Skyhawks, including winning the last six matches. The series is closer when playing in Martin, with MSU holding just a 13-11 advantage.
Scouting SIU Edwardsville
Before action over the weekend, the Cougars are 7-10 overall and 2-3 in league play. SIUE will host Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State this weekend before making the trip to Murray to face MSU Tuesday, Oct. 4. This will be the second OVC meeting between the teams this sesaon, with the Racers earning a 3-1 win (Sep. 16) in Edwardsville, Ill.
The Cougars are a strong serving team, averaging 1.5 service aces per set and allowing just 0.8. Cori Harris is the teams most accurate server, with 26 aces. Sammi Minton adds 16, with three other players on the team with 10 or more on the season. The rest of the statistical categories are close between SIUE and its opponents, with the other bigger difference in hitting percentage. The Cougars are hitting .194 on the season, but allowing their opponents to hit at a .208 pace.
SIUE has four hitters, with two seeing more attempts than the others. Julia Whitfield has seen the most attempts (496), but his hitting just .127 (144k-81e-496ta) on the season. Harris is the other key hitter to watch, with a .123 (123k-70e-430ta) hitting percentage. Kelsey Augustine and Brianne Graunke are the other hitters (hitting percentages over .200) for the Cougars and they also lead the team in blocks. Augustine has tallied 33 (4-29) and Graunke adds 21 (1-20).
The Series
This will be the fifth overall meeting and just the second league match in the all-time series with the Cougars. The Racers have been victorious in the previous four meetings, including a 3-1 win earlier this season (Sep. 16) in Edwardsville, Ill.
Swinging To Eliminate Cancer
For the fourth-straight season the Murray State volleyball team will be hosting Swinging To Eliminate Cancer, a fundraiser to help those effected by cancer.But this season the team will be raising money to help closer to home, teaming up with Murray-Calloway County Regional Cancer Center. All the funds raised will now go to the MCCRCC in honor of Kendra Schwepker, the wife of MSU head volleyball coach David Schwepker. The Racers will hold the fundraiser Oct. 14-15 (Homecoming and Volleyball Reunion Weekend) when they host Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky. Donations can be made through the weekend by talking to any volleyball player or staff member.
Reaching for Milestones
When the MSU volleyball team stepped onto the court this season they were going for several milestones for both the team and head coach David Schwepker. The teams first win (Sep. 16, 2011) marked the 400th for the volleyball program in its 29 year history and the 125th OVC win for head coach David Schwepker. This is during his time as the head coach of the Racers and while at Tennessee State. Schwepker needs two more OVC wins for his 125th conference win at MSU.
MSU will also be aiming to reach two more milestones for their head coach. Schwepker needs four overall wins for his 200th career coaching win and 17 wins to reach his 200th win while at the helm of the Racers.
Moving Up in the Career Charts
Three of the MSU players are currently on, or just shy of making, career lists in at least one category this season. Senior Mary Cunningham currently has 143 block assists, moving her into 10th on the career block assist charts at MSU. She needs five more to take over ninth (148-Ashley Nenninger).
Fellow senior Kayleah Sauer is already on the Racers career digs list, currently in third place (1,921). Sauer is 73 from second held by Kim Koehler (1,994) and 204 from the top spot that belongs to Heather Norris (2,125). The Louisville, Ky., native has averaged 550 digs per season in her first three years. Sauer is also close to making a second top-10 list, service aces. She has 97 career service aces and the top-10 list starts at 99 and goes up to 257.
Junior Lydia Orf is also making a push to join Sauer in the 1,000 Dig Club. The St. Charles, Mo., native has recorded 705 digs and needs 295 to become the 14th member of the club.
Up Next
MSU will return to the road for OVC matches at Tennessee State (Oct. 7) and Austin Peay (Oct. 8) next weekend.
Scouting UT Martin
The Skyhawks head into weekend action with a 7-7 overall record and a 2-2 mark in Ohio Valley Conference action after losing their last two matches. UTM will have one more chance to improve on its record before the Races come to town, as they host Southeast Missouri, Friday, Sep. 30. The matches with SEMO and MSU will be the first two OVC home matches of the season for UTM, who is 0-3 at Skyhawk Fieldhouse this season.
The Skyhawks are fourth in the nation when it comes to digs, with their 18.8 digs per set. A large majority of those digs comes from the NCAA individual leader in digs, Kasey Elswick (6.89/set). However, UTM is also allowing its opponents to average 17.5 digs per set against them. The rest of the statistical categories are close between the Skyhawks and their opponents, with UTM leading in all but blocks.
The Skyhawks have seven main players on the court, with Elswick, a setter (Jenna Miller) and five hitters that all see close to the same amount of swings. Ashley Doherty has a slight lead in the hitting column, with a .249 (161k-58e-413ta) hitting percentage. Britany Wilburn is next on the list with a .208 (131k-54e-370ta) attack percentage. Doherty and Wilbrun are also two of the team's top blockers with 35 (7-28) and 52 (9-43) blocks, respectively.
MSU will also have to watch the serves sent over the net by UTM. Those to watch more closely are Emily Keaton, Jenna Miller and Elswick. Keaton and Miller have both contributed 14 service aces so far this season, with Elswick adding 10 to help the Skyhawks average 1.1 service aces per set.
The Series
The Racers have a 34-17 advantage in the all-time series with the Skyhawks, including winning the last six matches. The series is closer when playing in Martin, with MSU holding just a 13-11 advantage.
Scouting SIU Edwardsville
Before action over the weekend, the Cougars are 7-10 overall and 2-3 in league play. SIUE will host Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State this weekend before making the trip to Murray to face MSU Tuesday, Oct. 4. This will be the second OVC meeting between the teams this sesaon, with the Racers earning a 3-1 win (Sep. 16) in Edwardsville, Ill.
The Cougars are a strong serving team, averaging 1.5 service aces per set and allowing just 0.8. Cori Harris is the teams most accurate server, with 26 aces. Sammi Minton adds 16, with three other players on the team with 10 or more on the season. The rest of the statistical categories are close between SIUE and its opponents, with the other bigger difference in hitting percentage. The Cougars are hitting .194 on the season, but allowing their opponents to hit at a .208 pace.
SIUE has four hitters, with two seeing more attempts than the others. Julia Whitfield has seen the most attempts (496), but his hitting just .127 (144k-81e-496ta) on the season. Harris is the other key hitter to watch, with a .123 (123k-70e-430ta) hitting percentage. Kelsey Augustine and Brianne Graunke are the other hitters (hitting percentages over .200) for the Cougars and they also lead the team in blocks. Augustine has tallied 33 (4-29) and Graunke adds 21 (1-20).
The Series
This will be the fifth overall meeting and just the second league match in the all-time series with the Cougars. The Racers have been victorious in the previous four meetings, including a 3-1 win earlier this season (Sep. 16) in Edwardsville, Ill.
Swinging To Eliminate Cancer
For the fourth-straight season the Murray State volleyball team will be hosting Swinging To Eliminate Cancer, a fundraiser to help those effected by cancer.But this season the team will be raising money to help closer to home, teaming up with Murray-Calloway County Regional Cancer Center. All the funds raised will now go to the MCCRCC in honor of Kendra Schwepker, the wife of MSU head volleyball coach David Schwepker. The Racers will hold the fundraiser Oct. 14-15 (Homecoming and Volleyball Reunion Weekend) when they host Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky. Donations can be made through the weekend by talking to any volleyball player or staff member.
Reaching for Milestones
When the MSU volleyball team stepped onto the court this season they were going for several milestones for both the team and head coach David Schwepker. The teams first win (Sep. 16, 2011) marked the 400th for the volleyball program in its 29 year history and the 125th OVC win for head coach David Schwepker. This is during his time as the head coach of the Racers and while at Tennessee State. Schwepker needs two more OVC wins for his 125th conference win at MSU.
MSU will also be aiming to reach two more milestones for their head coach. Schwepker needs four overall wins for his 200th career coaching win and 17 wins to reach his 200th win while at the helm of the Racers.
Moving Up in the Career Charts
Three of the MSU players are currently on, or just shy of making, career lists in at least one category this season. Senior Mary Cunningham currently has 143 block assists, moving her into 10th on the career block assist charts at MSU. She needs five more to take over ninth (148-Ashley Nenninger).
Fellow senior Kayleah Sauer is already on the Racers career digs list, currently in third place (1,921). Sauer is 73 from second held by Kim Koehler (1,994) and 204 from the top spot that belongs to Heather Norris (2,125). The Louisville, Ky., native has averaged 550 digs per season in her first three years. Sauer is also close to making a second top-10 list, service aces. She has 97 career service aces and the top-10 list starts at 99 and goes up to 257.
Junior Lydia Orf is also making a push to join Sauer in the 1,000 Dig Club. The St. Charles, Mo., native has recorded 705 digs and needs 295 to become the 14th member of the club.
Up Next
MSU will return to the road for OVC matches at Tennessee State (Oct. 7) and Austin Peay (Oct. 8) next weekend.
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