Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
1-3,0-0MVC
Northern Illinois
1-3,0-0Horizon
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray St. | 25 | 26 | 25 | 3 |
| NIU | 21 | 24 | 15 | 0 |
Racers Sweep Huskies, Krzos Earns First Win
9/4/2026 4:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Murray State Racers defeated the Northern Illinois Huskies in a 3-0 sweep Friday in the opening match of the NIU Invitational.
The Racers (1-3) used a pair of comebacks in the first and second sets before a dominant third set to win the rematch against host Northern Illinois (1-3), and secure head coach Tristyn Krzos' first win at the helm.
Murray State was tested early in the first set, falling behind 4-1 and eventually 14-10. However, two kills from Anne Makowski, two service aces from Alexa Watts and several Northern Illinois errors helped the Racers battle back and eventually take a 22-21 lead. The Navy and Gold then ripped off three straight points, capped by an emphatic block from Lily Evans, to take the opening set 25-21. The Racers hit a season-high .423 in the set, recording 12 kills with just one attack error on 26 attempts.
The Racers once again found themselves playing from behind in the second set, trailing by as many as six at 14-8. Murray State slowly chipped away at the deficit before a late push brought the Racers within one at 22-21. After NIU reached set point at 24-22, Murray State responded with four straight points to complete the comeback and take the set 26-24.
Unlike the first two sets, the Racers left no doubt in the third. After taking a 2-1 lead, Murray State took complete control, scoring seven straight points to open a 9-1 advantage. The Racers then extended their lead to 19-6 and never allowed the Huskies back into the set, cruising to a 25-15 victory to complete their first sweep since November 2024. Murray State forced nine NIU attack errors in the set and held the Huskies to a .069 hitting percentage, the lowest the Racers have held an opponent to in a set this season.
Maezi Snyder and Anne Makowski led the Murray State attack with eight kills apiece, while Snyder hit .462 on 13 attempts. Freshman Ceren Durak added six kills and led the Racers with 10 digs, while Kathryn Titus dished out a match-high 27 assists to go along with three service aces and six digs. Alexa Watts also added three aces as Murray State finished with 10, compared with four for Northern Illinois.
The Racers also controlled the net, finishing with eight total blocks compared with six for the Huskies, with Evans and Snyder leading the charge with four blocks apiece.
Murray State will be back in action Saturday when it faces Lindenwood at 11 a.m. CT and Portland State at 2:30 p.m. CT.
