Murray State
Tennessee Tech
Tech rallies for 3-2 win over Racers
10/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Murray State women's volleyball team had one match point in the fourth game of its Ohio Valley Conference match against Tennessee Tech and one in the fifth, but couldn't quite get past the solid offense of the Golden Eagles, falling 3-2 tonight. Game scores were 28-30, 30-25, 28-30, 31-29, 19-17.
The Racers (4-14, 1-10 OVC) won Game 1 30-26, fell in Game 2 30-25 and won Game 3 30-28 going into Game 4. MSU trailed in Game 4 15-10, but fought back, winning the next six points and taking a 16-15 lead with sophomore outside hitter Holly Jansen serving.
MSU trailed 21-19 before making another run, winning the next five points to take a 24-21 lead with senior setter Casandra Ersel serving. With the game tied at 28-28, sophomore middle blocker Katie Kemezys got a kill to bring the Racers to match point, 29-28. Tech's Liz Engel got a kill to tie the score, then Laura Sidorowicz hammered two kills home for the 31-29 Tech win.
In the fifth and deciding game, Murray State led 8-4 at the break and took a 9-5 lead when Tennessee Tech went on a 9-3 run, taking a 14-12 lead with match point in their sights.
MSU senior outside hitter Kimberly Bunnage slapped down two straight kills to tie the game at 14-14. The lead seesawed from there until, with the game tied at 17-17, Sidorowicz hit the final two kills of the match to give the Golden Eagles the 19-17 Game 5 win.
Bunnage led Murray State (4-14, 1-10 OVC) with 23 kills, while Kemezys had 16 and Jansen and sophomore outside hitter Allie Hunt had 11 apiece.
Kemezys served up a match-high six aces and had a match-high eight blocks. Senior outside hitter Danielle Sutterer added five blocks for MSU.
Sophomore libero Julie Lashley had a match-high 27 digs, while Bunnage had 15, Jansen had 14 and Ersel and Hunt had 13 each. Ersel handed out a team-high 59 assists.
For Tennessee Tech (8-14, 3-7 OVC), Sidorowicz had a match-high 32 kills, while Anne Morrow had 26 and Engel had 18. Nancy Meyer served up three aces and handed out 63 assists, while Jessica Seyfert and Kristen Kastner had five blocks apiece. Sidorowicz had 25 digs, while Engel had 21, Meyer had 15 and Morrow had 14.
Murray State will have its Senior Day festivities tomorrow (Saturday) at 2 p.m., when the Racers take on Austin Peay. MSU will honor seniors Casandra Ersel, Kimberly Bunnage and Danielle Sutterer.
