Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
14-9 (8-3OVC)
Southeast Missouri
14-10 (6-5OVC)
Racers Take Down SEMO on Senior Night for Eighth Straight Victory
10/26/2018 10:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
It was Senior Night at Racer Arena, Friday evening, as the Murray State volleyball team took on Southeast Missouri, defeating the Redhawks in four sets.
Seniors Dacia Brown and Liza Gober were honored before the match on a night the Racers won their eighth straight contest to improve to 14-9 overall and 8-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while SEMO falls to 14-10 and 6-5 in the OVC.
The Racers also avenged a loss earlier in the season to the Redhawks as they fell in five sets in Cape Girardeau, September 22.
Junior Rachel Giustino led a trio of Racers with double-digit kills, racking up 20 while also collecting a season-high 26 digs for her 11th straight double-double. Brown followed closely behind with 17 kills and junior Rachel Holthaus tallied 10 kills.
Sophomore Ashley McBee had her second straight match with 50-plus assists as she had a team-high 52. She also had 12 digs for her third straight double-double and fifth of the season. Classmate Becca Fernandez led the Racers with 28 digs and Holthaus, Brown, and sophomore Katirah Johnson each had four blocks.
Murray State led for most of the way in the first set including 19-15, but a 4-0 run by SEMO tied it up. After trading points, the set was tied at 22, but three straight points by the Redhawks clinched the set for SEMO.
Southeast Missouri used the momentum from the first set to jump out to a 4-0 lead. However, with SEMO up 6-3, the Racers went on a 10-0 run to take a 13-6 lead. During the run, Murray State tied the set at six on a spectacular play as Fernandez went diving for a set to keep the ball in play for Brown who lofted it over the net from beyond the service line where a bad set by SEMO brought the Racer Arena crowd to its feet.
The Racers expanded their lead to 20-11 before SEMO cut the score to 21-15, but four straight points by MSU gave the Racers the set, 25-15.
The third set went back-and-forth until, tied at 16, the Racers went on a mini 3-0 run to take a 19-16 lead. The Redhawks got a point back, but a kill from Giustino jumpstarted a 5-0 run to give the Racers set point. SEMO won the next three points, but a kill from Johnson gave the set to MSU, 25-20.
In the fourth set, SEMO looked to keep the match going as they held onto a 10-9 lead early in the set, but a 5-0 run, which included two kills by Holthaus, gave the Racers a lead they would not give up, as they ended the set on 5-0 run, culminating with a block by Johnson, to clinch the set 25-17, and the match.
The Racers have a quick turnaround as they will host UT Martin, tomorrow at 11 a.m. Similarly to SEMO, the Racers will be looking to avenge a 5-set loss to the Skyhawks earlier in the season.
