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MOREHEAD, Ky. – Several Eagle players finished with career highs Saturday afternoon in the Morehead State volleyball team’s marathon match with Western Michigan, but in the end the Eagles let a few too many points slip away as they fell 3-2 (25-23, 24-26, 27-25, 19-25, 14-16) to the Broncos to finish the Comfort Inn and Suites Invitational.
MSU redshirt senior Emma Keough and sophomore Leslie Schellhaas were named to the all-tournament team. The Eagles fell to 5-5, while WMU finished a 3-0 weekend by moving to 8-1.
Schellhaas was a key part of the Eagles’ transition game and back row presence as she concluded with a career high 36 digs, which ranks as the fifth highest single-match total in school history. Keough smashed in 18 kills, hit .417 and blocked five total WMU attacks, including two solos.
The Eagles also had a number of other notable performances, including a career high 62 assists and three blocks by Caitlin Clark, a career-high and team-best 19 kills, plus 14 digs, from Aryn Bohannon, a career-best 14 kills to go along with five blocks from Laura McDermott, and 16 successful kills via the OVC’s leading attacker Ellie Roberson.
The Broncos were relentless at the net however, as they piled up 18 team blocks which in part led to the Eagles’ .167 hitting efficiency. Ashley Turnage, who was named MVP of the tournament, compiled 12 total blocks to go along with a team-high 19 kills and a .469 attack efficiency. On the back row, Lena Oliver picked up a match-high 39 digs. Ali Gossen had 16 kills, 15 digs and three blocks. The Broncos out-dug the Eagles 94-87.
The Eagles raced out to an 11-4 lead in the opening set and eventually led 18-13. But WMU doubled up the Eagles 6-3 on the next nine points and made it interesting, cutting it to 21-20. WMU tied it twice in the waning moments of the set, but kills from Roberson and Keough finished off the 25-23 win.
In the second frame, the Eagles trailed 7-3 early but eventually caught up and then took a 22-20 lead. MSU had a set point opportunity at 24-23, but Turnage thwarted the Eagle victory celebration with a kill. Turnage and Gillian Asque came up with a block to give the Broncos a 25-24 advantage, and Turnage closed the deal with a kill.
Just like set two, the Eagles fell behind early in the third, trailing 8-3. But they roared back and eventually led late. MSU had another set point opportunity go awry leading 25-24 on a Turnage kill, but a WMU attack error and a Bohannon kill set the final at 27-25 for MSU.
The fourth set was close and was tied at 16-all, but then WMU rattled off six straight points to put the set out of reach. The Broncos went on to hold on a for a 25-19 win.
The teams battled tough in the fifth as well. MSU had just one lead (8-7) but had opportunities late to eke out a win. Trailing 14-12 a kill by Keough, plus a block from Alex Fuelling and Keough tied it at 14-all. But Gossen landed a kill and the Eagles misfired on a final attempt to give WMU the 16-14 victory.
The Eagles will be off all this week until they open Ohio Valley Conference action on Friday against visiting Tennessee State at 7 p.m.
