Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
2-13,0-3MVC
Evansville
4-11,1-2MVC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evansville | 23 | 25 | 25 | 29 | 3 |
| Murray St. | 25 | 20 | 22 | 27 | 1 |
Racers Fall to Evansville in Back-and-Forth Home Opener
10/2/2026 9:16:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Murray State dropped its home opener against MVC foe Evansville, 3-1, Friday night at Racer Arena.
The Racers (2-13, 0-3 MVC) and Purple Aces (4-11, 1-2 MVC) traded blows throughout the night, combining for 45 ties and 18 lead changes. Murray State took the opening set, 25-23, before Evansville responded to win the next three, 25-20, 25-22 and 29-27.Â
Murray State got off to a quick start in the opening set behind Anne Makowski, who recorded three kills as the Racers jumped ahead 5-1. Evansville worked its way back to tie the set at seven, setting the tone for a frame that featured 12 ties and six lead changes.
The Racers trailed 19-17 late in the set before Samantha Nelson recorded back-to-back service aces to tie it. Makowski followed with a kill to put Murray State back in front, and the teams continued to trade points until an Alexa Watts kill gave the Racers set point at 24-23. The Navy and Gold sealed the set on the next rally when Evansville committed its fifth attack error of the set, igniting the home crowd.
Evansville responded in the second set, using a 6-1 stretch to turn a 7-7 tie into a 13-8 advantage. The Purple Aces extended their lead to 20-12 before Watts took over from the service line, delivering three straight aces to pull Murray State within four and force an Evansville timeout. The three aces matched a career high for Watts, who finished the night with seven kills and a .429 hitting percentage. However, Evansville would answer out of the timeout and eventually took the set, 25-20, to even the match.Â
The third set brought another back-and-forth battle, featuring 15 ties and six lead changes. Neither side led by more than two through an 18-18 tie, with Mija Pristovnik and Maezi Snyder helping pace the Racer offense. Snyder put down five kills on seven swings in the set, while Pristovnik added four kills and two service aces. Evansville finally created some separation with five of the next six points to take a 23-19 lead, but Murray State cut it back to two until two straight kills from Layla Fisher closed the set for the Purple Aces.
Murray State looked poised to send the match to a fifth set after putting together its biggest run of the night in the fourth. Trailing 13-10, the Racers rattled off eight straight points, highlighted by back-to-back Lily Evans service aces and kills from Katie Titus, Makowski and Snyder. The run pushed Murray State ahead 18-13, and the Racers eventually extended their advantage to 22-17.Â
Evansville erased the five-point deficit to tie the set at 23, beginning a finish that saw the teams trade nearly every point the rest of the way. Evans gave Murray State set point at 24-23 and again at 25-24, but Evansville answered both times. Pristovnik kept the Racers alive with a kill to tie it at 26, and an Evansville service error later made it 27-all. The Purple Aces followed with consecutive kills to take the set, 29-27, and the match.Â
Pristovnik's kill late in the fourth capped a career night for the sophomore, who finished with a career-high 14 kills while hitting .414, the second-highest hitting percentage of her career. Her three service aces were also a career high as she finished with a team-best 17 points.
Snyder's strong third set helped her finish with a career-high 10 kills on just 18 attacks. The freshman hit .389 for the match, giving her seven matches this season with a hitting percentage above .350, the most on the team.Â
Murray State's success from the service line extended beyond the individual career marks, as the Racers finished with a season-high 12 aces. Five different Racers recorded an ace in the match, with Pristovnik and Watts leading the way with three apiece.Â
The Racers will be back in action Saturday at 5 p.m. CT to take on Indiana State.
