Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
UIC
Racers Look to Maintain Momentum on MVC Road Trip
10/16/2025 12:35:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Murray State faces UIC, Valparaiso on the road
Dates (Times): Oct. 17 (6 p.m. CT), Oct. 18 (5 p.m. CT)
Opponents: UIC Flames, Valparaiso Beacons
Locations: Chicago, Ill.; Valparaiso, Ind.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
The Murray State Racers will face the UIC Flames and Valparaiso Beacons this weekend for a pair of road Missouri Valley Conference matches.
The Racers (3-12, 1-5 MVC) are tied with Evansville at the bottom of the MVC standings after snapping a 10-game slide with a 3-2 win over Illinois State on Saturday, Oct. 11, at Racer Arena. The UIC Flames (9-7, 3-3 MVC) sit in fourth after a weekend that saw them win in straight sets against Southern Illinois and fall to Valparaiso in straight sets. The Beacons (14-5, 5-1 MVC) are second in the conference and winners of four straight and 10 of their last 12 matches.
Seniors Ella Vogel and Federica Nuccio continue to be two of the Racers' main contributors on offense, with Vogel putting up 45 kills last weekend alone. Vogel leads the team with 200 kills, while Nuccio has 119. Freshman Mija Pristovnik is third on the team with 98 and averages 1.78 per set, while her fellow freshman, Katie Titus, leads the team with 264 assists. Junior setter Paige Brock is close behind with 245 assists. Freshman Halle Forester currently leads the team in digs from the libero position, averaging 3.66 per set for a total of 172 on the season.
The Flames feature the MVC leader in hitting percentage, junior middle blocker Julieta Sandez, who totals 130 kills while hitting .475. She is third on the team in kills behind Cleo Lorenzo and Ayat Amin, who have 142 and 141 kills, respectively. Setter Mihaela Harizanova has put up 396 assists on the season, while Hannah Howard leads the team with 146 digs. Sandez also leads the team in blocks with 56.0.
The Beacons' attack is led by Ava Helming with 239 kills and Sam Warren with 178. Jessica Pickett leads the team in blocks and is tied for the MVC lead with 1.25 per set and is third in the conference with a total of 75. Libero Emma Hickey leads the MVC in digs per set with 5.09, and her 377 total is second in the conference. Addy Kois leads the team with 444 assists, good for fourth in the MVC.
Following their trip north, the Racers return home for matches against MVC foes Bradley and Evansville. They will host the Braves on Friday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. CT and the Purple Aces on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 5 p.m. CT.
Follow 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)
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