Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Illinois State
Racers Set for Pair of Weekend MVC Matches
10/30/2025 1:14:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Murray State faces Illinois State and and Bradley on the road.
Opponents: Illinois State Redbirds, Bradley Braves
Locations (Venues): Normal, Ill. (CEFCU Arena), Peoria, Ill. (Renaissance Coliseum)
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
The Murray State Racers are on the road for a pair of Missouri Valley Conference matches in the state of Illinois this weekend. Â
The Racers (4-15, 2-8 MVC) remain at the bottom of the MVC standings despite defeating Evansville last Saturday. The Redbirds (9-14, 4-7 MVC) are eighth in the conference, with the Braves (10-13, 4-7 MVC) one spot behind in ninth. This is the second meeting of the season with both opponents, as the Racers picked up a 3-2 win over the Redbirds on Oct. 11, and fell to the Braves 3-1 on Oct. 24.
On the season, Vogel leads the team with 290.5 points and 263 kills with an average of 3.65 per set, second highest in the MVC.  She is second on the team in blocks with 40.0 on the season. Fellow senior, outside Hitter Federica Nuccio is averaging 2.32  kills per set, third best on the team and her highest average since 2022. She is second on the team 144 kills on the year and also leads the team with 22 aces, including the final point in Saturday's win over Evansville.  Another senior, Morgan McClure, leads the Racers with 60 blocks this season.
Several freshmen have made key contributions throughout the year for the Navy & Gold. Setter Katie Titus leads the team with 348 assists, while libero Halle Forester leads with 174 digs. Freshman outside hitter Mija Pristovnik is third on the team with 116 kills and second in digs with 145.
Since their Oct. 11 loss to the Racers, Illinois State is just 1-4 as the loss triggered a five-game slide that ended in a win over Bradley on Oct. 28. Ella Craggs continues to be a standout for the Redbirds, totaling 519 assists on the year with an average of 6.18 per set. Caitlyn Little leads the team with 198 kills, with Khenedi Guest right behind with 183 and a team-high 95.0 blocks. Arianna Rossi leads the team with 368 digs.
Since beating the Racers 3-1 on Oct. 24, the Braves have beaten Belmont 3-2 and fallen to Illinois State in a midweek sweep. Libero Irene Mostradini continues to be one of the top defensive players in the Valley with 386 digs and an average of 4.24 per set in addition to 32 aces. Maria Drapp continues to be dominant from the setter position with 861 assists and 9.46 per set, highest in the MVC. Tendai Titley leads the team with 258 kills while Gracie Furlong has 244.Â
The Racers play one more road match in Illinois before returning to Racer Arena. They face the SIU Salukis in Carbondale on Friday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. CT before returning home to host Valparaiso on the following day at 5 p.m. CT.
Follow the Racers on Twitter (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics) and Facebook to stay up to date with Murray State Athletics. Follow Murray State volleyball on Twitter and Instagram (@RacersVB).  Â
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