Racers Head to Troy to Wrap Up Non-Conference Play

Thursday, September 17

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Murray State

Troy

9/17/2026 10:32:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

By: Jack Diwik

Troy Classic Preview

Murray State will wrap up non-conference play this weekend at the Troy Classic in Troy, Ala. The Racers (1-8) open the tournament against host Troy (2-4) Thursday at 6 p.m. CT before returning Friday for two matches against The Citadel (3-6) at 10:30 a.m. and Northwestern State (6-6) at 3:30 p.m.

Match Information

The Navy and Gold's matchup with Troy will mark the Racers' third true road match of the season, where they hold a 1-1 record. Thursday will also mark the fifth all-time meeting between the programs, with Murray State holding a 3-1 series advantage.

The Trojans, picked to finish tied for fourth in the Sun Belt West Division preseason poll, enter the weekend after a 3-0 loss to No. 10 Florida at the Florida Invite.

Murray State will return to the court Friday against The Citadel, which has already picked up three wins through its first nine matches after finishing 0-27 in 2025. The Bulldogs are coming off a 3-1 win over Cal State Fullerton at the Playa Bowls Invitational at Charleston Southern, where four players reached double-digit kills.

The matchup will be the second all-time meeting between the two schools, with Murray State winning the only previous match 3-0 in 2012. The Racers are 15-7 all-time against the Southern Conference.

Lastly, Murray State will close non-conference play against Northwestern State in the programs' first meeting since 1997. Similar to The Citadel, the Demons have bounced back from a 1-29 campaign in 2025, already winning six of their first 12 matches this season. Northwestern State enters the Troy Classic riding a five-match winning streak after winning four matches last week, including a sweep at the Bulldog Bash.

The Racers won the only previous meeting with Northwestern State and hold a 9-7 all-time record against members of the Southland Conference.

Racer Leaders and Notes

Sophomore outside hitter Anne Makowski has led the Racers' attack through the first nine matches, recording a team-high 111 kills while averaging 3.47 kills per set. Makowski ranks seventh in the MVC in both categories and has led Murray State in kills in every match this season. She enters the weekend after setting a career high with 19 kills while hitting .302 against Middle Tennessee.

The Racers have also received significant production from their freshman class. Libero Ada Tamturk and middle blocker Maezi Snyder have played in all 32 sets this season. Tamturk leads Murray State with 106 digs and 3.28 digs per set, both of which lead all MVC freshmen, while Snyder has recorded 51 kills and ranks second on the team with 20 blocks.

Freshman outside hitter Ceren Durak has also worked her way into the Racers' starting rotation, starting seven of nine matches and appearing in 25 sets. The Türkiye native recorded a career-high 14 kills against Northern Colorado before setting another career high with 13 digs later that day against Georgia State.

Murray State has also found success from the service line, averaging 1.50 aces per set, which ranks fifth in the MVC. Senior setter Paige Brock leads the Racers with eight service aces and ranks eighth in the conference. Murray State recorded a season-high 10 aces against Northern Colorado on Sept. 11, with Durak and Sam Nelson recording three apiece.