Murray State University Athletics
Racers Defeat The Citadel, Split Friday Doubleheader
9/18/2026 7:35:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Murray State split its two matches Friday, wrapping up non-conference play at the Trojan Classic in Troy, Ala.
The Racers (2-10) started the day by beating The Citadel (3-7) in four sets before falling to Northwestern State (7-6) in four sets to close out non-conference play.
The Navy and Gold started their first match against the Bulldogs strong, winning a first set that saw seven lead changes and 11 ties, 25-23. Four different Racers had two or more kills during the set, with sophomore Anne Makowski leading the way with three.
While the Bulldogs fought back to take set two, 25-22, Murray State responded with a dominant third set, winning 25-12 for its largest set-by-set margin of victory this season. The Racers held The Citadel to a .053 hitting percentage while committing just three attack errors themselves and hitting .270.Â
Murray State carried that momentum into the fourth set, holding the Bulldogs to .059 while putting down 15 kills to secure the 25-15 set win and its second victory of the season. The Racers finished the match hitting .252 with 54 kills, both season highs, while holding The Citadel to .179.
Makowski led the Racers with 14 kills and added four service aces, while Lily Evans finished with 13 kills on a .524 hitting percentage. Mija Pristovnik added 11 kills and 12 digs, while Katie Titus dished out 37 assists to go along with 15 digs, giving both Pristovnik and Titus double-doubles. The performances marked Murray State's second and third double-doubles of the season after Paige Brock recorded the team's first against Northern Illinois on Aug. 28.Â
Murray State returned to the court later Friday against Northwestern State, where the Demons took the opening set 25-17 before the Racers answered in the second. After a back-and-forth start that saw the teams tied six times through the first 12 points, Murray State began to create separation late and finished the set with 16 kills on a match-best .306 hitting percentage to take it 25-22 and even the match at one set apiece.Â
The third set stayed tight, with 10 ties and three lead changes before Northwestern State broke a 15-15 tie and pulled away late for a 25-19 win. The Demons carried that momentum into the fourth, holding Murray State to a .025 hitting percentage and using an early advantage to take the set 25-16 and the match in four.Â
Evans and Ceren Durak led Murray State with 13 kills apiece, career-highs for both, with Evans hitting .303 and Durak finishing at .250. Titus recorded her second double-double of the day with 39 assists and 16 digs, while Ada Tamturk led the Racers defensively with 17 digs as Murray State finished with 59 as a team.Â
The Racers will now turn their attention to Missouri Valley Conference play, traveling to Drake on Sept. 25 and Northern Iowa on Sept. 26.Â
