Racers Fight, Fall to Austin Peay 3-1

Sunday, March 7

Clarksville, Tenn.

4 p.m.

Murray State

4-5,4-5OVC

Austin Peay

7-2,7-2OVC

Murray St.

Austin Peay

Photo by: David Eaton-Murray State Athletics

3/7/2021 8:54:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Murray State lost in four sets 23-25, 25-19, 18-25, 22-25 to Austin Peay at Winfield Dunn Center on Mar. 7.

The Murray State volleyball team (4-5) dropped a tight opening match against the Austin Peay Governors (7-2), falling in four sets.

Jayla Holcombe led the Racers with 20 kills, two digs and one block. Darci Metzger had a season-best 16 kills while Kolby McClelland hit a team-high .321 and had 11 kills.

Callie Anderton set a new career-high in digs (19) and service aces (4) and tallied 43 assists. Becca Fernandez collected 24 digs in the match.

The Racers got off to a 5-1 start in the first set, thanks to kills from Holcombe and McClelland, before the Governors rattled off seven straight points to take an 8-5 lead. Each team used 4-0 runs to knot things up at 14. Down 23-19, the Racers won four of the next five points, defending two set points but fell 23-25.

Austin Peay started fast in the second set, using four errors by the Racers to jump ahead 4-0. Murray State fought back tying the game at 8 and then ripped off seven straight points thanks to three service aces from Callie Anderton and kills by Holcombe and Emily Matson. The Racers and Govs traded points the rest of the set, finishing on three kills from Metzger to even the match at one apiece.

The Racers started slow, winning the opening point in the third set, but dropped the next seven. Austin Peay was able to hang on to their lead as Murray State strung back-to-back points together a few times but it was too little, too late as the Govs won the set, 25-18 and took a 2-1 set lead.

A combination of kills from Holcombe, Matson and a service ace by Fernandez tied the fourth set at three. The Govs took the next four points but the Racers responded with five of them own to take a slight edge at 8-7. The two teams were always within two points of each other, having a tie score thirteen different times throughout the match. Knotted at 22, Austin Peay used two kills and a service ace to take the match, 25-22 and the set, 3-1.

The Racers return home next weekend hosting Eastern Illinois on Mar. 14 and 15 to face the Panthers at 6 p.m. on Sunday for Senior Day and at 4 p.m. on Monday.