Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Jackson State
Racers Open Season At Sawyer Camillo Memorial Classic
8/29/2024 1:11:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Murray State Will Face JSU and UT Arlington on Friday, August 30
Dates(Times): August 30 (11 a.m. CT & 3 p.m. CT)
Site (Venue): Lafayette La. (Earl K. Long Gym)Â
Opponents: Jackson State Tigers and UT Arlington MavericksÂ
Live Stats: GoRacers.comÂ
ÂMurray State is set to open the 2024 season with matches against Jackson State and UT Arlington on Friday, August 30, 2024, in Lafayette, Louisiana at the Sawyer Camillo Memorial Classic.Â
ÂFriday's match marks the first time the Racers have faced JSU since 2001, when they swept the Tigers 3-0 at Racer Arena. Â
ÂThis year's Jackson State squad is led by Junior Karys Dove. The Austin, Texas native was named SWAC Preseason Setter of the Year and joins teammates Alexis Williams and Trinity Bryant as members of the SWAC Preseason Second Team. The Tigers also feature a pair of SWAC Preseason First-Team players in Hope Briggs and Naija Gaddis.
Briggs, a sophomore, played in all 30 matches for the Tigers last season and recorded 310 kills finishing the season with a .264 hitting percentage. She also recorded 91 digs and 68 total blocks.
ÂGaddis, also a sophomore, led the team in assists with 534 in 2023. She tacked on 124 digs, 41 kills, and 26 aces to her season stat line.
Following Murray State's match against Jackson State, the Racers face off with UT Arlington for the first time in program history. The Mavericks are led by a pair of All-WAC performers in Brianna Ford and Paige Reagor as well as Mollie Blank, who was named WAC Preseason Setter of the Year.
Â
Blank, a native of Mansfield, Texas totaled 56 kills, a .315 hitting percentage, 1,083 assists, 20 aces, 223 digs, and 28 blocks over 32 matches, or 116 sets last season. Last season, Ford recorded career-bests with 470 kills, a .266 hitting percentage, 326 digs, 99 blocks, 35 aces, and 27 assists in 32 matches played. Reagor totaled a career-high 247 kills, a career-high .397 hitting percentage, 98 blocks, 26 digs, three assists, and two aces over 23 matches last season.
ÂDarci Metzger, Dahlia Miller and Ella Vogel enter the year as the top returners for Murray State. A native of Collinsville, Illinois, Metzger was named to the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Preseason All-Conference team. The fifth-year player led the Racers in several statistical categories in 2023 including kills per set with 4.28, second-most in the MVC, and total points with 489.5 with her average of 4.53 per set being third-most in the MVC.
ÂIn 2023, Miller turned in the second-most digs per set in the conference with 5.56 and a team-high 534 total digs. The Pearland, Texas also averaged 0.91 assists per set for a total of 87 on the season.
ÂVogel totaled 325 kills for an average of 3.07 per set last year, second most on the team. The Cape Girardeau, Missouri native averaged 0.85 digs per set for a total of 90 on the season and tallied 353.5 points for an average of 3.33 per set.
Â"After a tough pre-season, we are finally going to get a glimpse of what our team is about," head coach David Schwepker said. "We have a great tournament at U of L with some incredible teams, so it should be fun and educational!"
ÂFollow the Racers on Twitter (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics) and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Murray State Athletics. Follow Murray State volleyball on Twitter and Instagram (@RacersVB).
Â
