Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
EVANSTON, Ill. - Morehead State volleyball registered 83 digs and 12 team blocks Friday night as the Eagles rallied to defeat the Utah Utes 3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-22) in the Northwestern University Challenge at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Down a set to open the match, the Eagles tallied 10 team blocks and 65 digs in the final three sets to claim their third straight win and improve to 3-1.
Senior
Holly Evans totaled a team best 13 kills and eight blocks while hitting .303 (33 att/3 err). Sophomore
Annie Gruenschlaeger collected seven blocks, while junior libero
Liz Schuler came up clutch again on the back row with a match high 27 digs. In the first four matches, Schuler has chalked up 6.5 digs per set.
On offense, the Eagles also got 12 kills off a .270 hitting effort from sophomore
Ellie Roberson and 10 kills, plus 11 digs, from senior
Kaitlin Craven. She also landed three of the Eagles' six aces. Senior setter
Kirstie Brangers picked up double-double numbers with 40 assists and 21 digs.
Sarah Collette led the Utes with 14 kills, while Keisha Fisher tied Schuler for match-high dig honors with 27. The Eagles limited Utah freshman standout Morgan Odale, who entered averaging 3.5 kills per set and a better-than-.300 hitting average, to only five kills and a .000 attack performance.
MSU outdueled Utah 57-55 in kill totals, 83-79 in digs, 12-9 in blocks, and .185 to .181 in hitting percentage.
The Eagles had 15 kills in the opening set, but the Utes landed 17 winners while hitting .250 to edge MSU 25-23. MSU came back to hit .308 with just two atack miscues to win 25-21. The Eagles only had 10 kills and nine errors in set three, but they countered with 22 digs, four team blocks, and three aces to claim the set 25-21. In the final set, MSU registered 18 kills.
MSU will continue play in the NU Challenge on Saturday when they face the host Wildcats at 1 p.m. and Mississippi at 5:30 p.m.
