Volleyball heads out west to play in Cougar Challenge

GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS ( WSU | UTAH VALLEY | BALL STATE ) | LIVE VIDEO ( WSU )

MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State volleyball team travels to Pullman, Wash. to participate in the Cougar Challenge this weekend. They will square off against host Washington State and Utah Valley on Friday, and then wrap up the tourney against Ball State on Saturday. The trip will mark the most miles traveled for a match in head coach Jaime Gordon's tenure.

In four matches last weekend, the Eagles played a marathon-like 18 sets, defeating Fairleigh Dickinson, falling to Marist, and hosts Lafayette and Lehigh. All matches went at least four sets, and in a span of a little of 14 hours they played two five-set contests, defeating FDU and losing to Lafayette.

"I think we are doing a good job of fighting through some adversity," said Gordon. "We handled the challenges of being on the road with a long road trip, and we're going to have that same challenge ahead of us this weekend. But, I felt good that we improved as last weekend continued and that's ultimately what you want to see. We're not totally excited about some of our results, but the fact that we're improving is good."

While they have managed just two wins in their first seven matches, they have been competitive, and with a few different bounces could have a better overall record.

"We're not where we want to be," said Gordon. "Every team wants to win every time they are out on the court. Considering the setbacks we have had, I feel comfortable. I think the team is working hard, they are becoming more comfortable with each other, and they are starting to understand their roles. We're starting to see better execution and ultimately that will pay off."

The intent is that these tough road trips will help prepare the team for a grueling OVC schedule.

"We've had some good competition already and we have some great teams with different styles that we will be facing in Washington," said Gordon. "We'll have an opportunity to try and neutralize some big guns, specifically against Washington State, which will be key as we approach OVC play because there are some great players in our conference."

Junior setter Bailey Nichol, who leads the team and ranks fifth in the OVC with 270 assists, is excited to get back out on the court this weekend.

"We're really excited about the competition out west," said Nichol. "We're focusing on keeping the energy really high and just staying together as a team."

Freshman outside hitter Merideth Jewell was named OVC Newcomer of the Week for the second straight week following her performance last weekend. She has a team-high 134 kills, good for 4.62 per set, and her 26 kills against Marist marked a career-high. Her 134 kills also rank sixth overall in the country.

Jewell is not the only freshman making her presence known as fellow freshmen middle blocker Maddie Fella, setter Jordan Jones, and libero Alyssa Cecil have also been asked to contribute right away.

"Our freshmen are really stepping up and we're really excited to see all of our young players," said Nichol. "We don't really see anyone as a freshman, we're just all on the team together and we all help each other through everything."

Live stats will be available for all four matches via MSUEagles.com. Live video of the Washington State match can be found at WSUCougars.com.