Tigers Pounce Racers, 3-0

Friday, November 1

Racer Arena

7 p.m.

Murray State

13-12 (3-8,OVC)

Tennessee State

10-13 (6-6,OVC)

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Tennessee State	30	25	25	3
Murray State	28	16	20	0

Taylor Olden led the Racers with a 10-kill, 13-dig double-double against TSU

Photo by: Murray State Sports Information

11/1/2013 9:58:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

GALLERY

Murray State volleyball was unable to build on their last win over SIUE, falling to OVC foe, Tennessee State, 3-0 (28-30, 16-25, 20-25). For the Racers (13-12, 3-8 OVC) it marks their fourth consecutive loss at the hands of the Tigers.

Outside of the first set, MSU couldn't generate much of an offensive attack, landing only 35 kills to the Tigers' 58. Taylor Olden led the Racers with 10 kills and also had a team-best 13 digs. Scottie Ingram followed Olden with nine kills while Alyssa Lelm and Emily Schmahl each landed six. Sam Bedard handed out 31 assists, including 13 in the opening stanza.

Jumping into the first set, which saw 14 ties and nine lead changes, neither team was able to gain more than a two-point edge until the Tigers took at 16-13 lead midway through the frame. The set continued to go back and forth before the Racers made their first push towards stealing a win. Trailing 22-20, MSU scored three straight points to take their first lead since 13-12. After TSU knotted the score at 23-all, a Lelm kill put the Racers one point away from a set victory. But the Tigers struck back with two kills from Naomi Wells, taking them to set-point, 25-24. Wells went on to finish with nine kills in the set. Murray State then used a Lelm kill and a Tiger attack error go up, 26-25. The back-and-forth action continued with Tennessee State answering with another kill from Wells and a Racer attack error bringing them back to set point, 27-26. The Tigers couldn't close the door and two attack errors gave the Racers the lead back, 28-27. MSU then gave the ball right back on a service error and, up 29-28, TSU finally ended the marathon set with a kill from Arijana Anderson.

Set two was the complete opposite of the first one as the Tigers roared out to a 7-1 lead and never looked back. The Racers made a small rally, cutting a ten-point lead to six, 13-7, but that's as close as they came as TSU cruised to a 25-16 win to go up 2-0.

Murray State held a small two-point lead, 10-8, but couldn't hold on in the third and final frame. After the Tigers grabbed the lead, 13-12, the Racers never saw it again. MSU fought hard to stay in the battle and cut a 21-18 lead to one, 21-20. But the Tigers scored the match's final four points to put the Racers away and complete the sweep.

Wells led the match with 22 kills followed by Anderson and Sherryce Butler with 10 each. Erika Moss centered the Tiger offense dishing out 52 assists. The Racers came into the match number five in the NCAA in digs, but it was the Tigers who held a distinct advantage in that category, 54-44. Libero Ileanushka Maldanado had a game-high 19.

The Racers will turn around and take on defending OVC Champions Belmont, Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. The team will hold a pregame Senior Day ceremony, honoring lone senior, Katlyn Hudson.