BOX SCORE
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Beginning its quest for its fifth Ohio Valley Conference Volleyball Tournament Championship, Morehead State volleyball opened the 2019 OVC Volleyball Championships with an opening-round victory Thursday afternoon. The Eagles (22-8)—the number four overall seed—defeated No. 5 Austin Peay (11-20) in four sets.
Morehead State took the match by scores of 20-25, 25-23, 25-22, and 25-18.
Being named First Team All-OVC Wednesday night, freshman setter
Bridget Bessler, and junior outside hitters
Olivia Lohmeier and
Lauren Rokey proved why they earned the honor, leading the Eagles' offense against Austin Peay.
Directing the team's offense, Bessler passed out a match-best 44 assists, averaging 11 per set during the contest. She also added 13 digs, tallying her ninth double-double of the year. Her 13 digs versus Austin Peay give her 203 for the season, ensuring that for the sixth-straight season that Morehead State has had a freshman record 200 or more digs in a season.
Lohmeier and Rokey paced the Eagles offensively, recording 16 and 19 kills, respectively. Rokey's 19 kills marked a match-high while Lohmeier's 16 finished as the second-most in the match. Also joining the duo in double-figures was sophomore middle blocker
Hannah Keating who slammed home 10 kills while hitting .474 from the middle.
Defensively, Morehead State stymied Austin Peay at the net, recording 12 total blocks in the match. The Eagles' 12 total blocks Thursday is the second-best total for the team this year, two shy of the Eagles' 14 from their lone meeting with the Governors in the regular season. Sophomore middle blocker
Mia Swearingen led the way with a match-high seven total blocks, tying a career and team, season-high with three solo blocks. Keating and Lohmeier finished with four blocks apiece.
Behind the block, the Eagles collected 63 digs as three Eagles dug up double-digit balls. In addition to Bessler's 13 digs, sophomores, libero
Allison Whitten and defensive specialist
Olivia Montelisciani, totaled 14 and 11 digs, respectively. Finishing just shy of double-figures was redshirt junior right-side hitter
Liz Allen, who added nine digs.
No. 4 Morehead State returns to action in the semifinal round, facing the winner of Thursday's final opening-round match. The Eagles face either No. 1 Jacksonville State or No. 8 SIUE tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. ET.
