Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
15-9 (9-3OVC)
UT Martin
12-14 (5-7OVC)
Racers Win Ninth Straight With Sweep of UT Martin
10/27/2018 2:29:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Murray State Volleyball team improved to 7-0 at Racer Arena, Saturday morning, as they swept UT Martin, 25-23, 25-19, 26-24.
It was their ninth straight victory as they now sit at 9-3 in the OVC after starting off conference play with three straight losses, including one to the Skyhawks. Murray State improves to 15-9 overall while UT Martin falls to 12-14 and 5-7 in the OVC.
Junior Rachel Giustino led the Racers with 15 kills and 13 digs for her 12th straight double-double. Senior Dacia Brown collected 10 kills and two blocks while sophomore Ashley McBee had 36 assists.
The Racers played one of their best defensive performances of the season as five players reached double-digit digs, led by sophomore libero Becca Fernandez with 22. Junior Rachel Holthaus contributed with a season-high 15 digs and McBee and freshman Rachel Kinney had 11 and 10, respectively, as the Racers had 84 digs in just three sets.
The first set went back-and-forth until the Racers went on a 3-0 run to take an 18-15 lead. MSU expanded their lead to 23-18, but five straight points by the Skyhawks tied the set at 23. However, the Racers buckled down and after an error by UT Martin, Brown and sophomore Katirah Johnson teamed up for a block to secure the first set.
The Skyhawks jumped out to an 8-6 lead in the second set, but a 6-0 run by MSU, which included two kills from Giustino, gave the Racers a four-point lead. UT Martin kept it a four-point game until a 4-0 run, sparked by two aces from junior Megan Lindsay, gave the Racers the cushion they needed to win the set.
In the fourth set, the Racers bolted out to a 6-1 lead and eventually expanded it to 14-7, but the Skyhawks clawed back with the help of a 7-1 run to cut their deficit to one. Murray State built its lead back up to five at 22-17, but again UT Martin answered with a 6-1 run to tie the set at 23. However, the Skyhawks were unable to take the lead as Brown ended the set with back-to-back kills to win the match.
The Racers are back in action with a midweek contest against first-place Austin Peay, Tuesday, in their final home match of the season. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Racer Arena.
