BOX SCORE
LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the first time since 2013, Morehead State volleyball knocked off an opponent from a Power-Five conference. The Eagles (6-2) outlasted Syracuse (0-3) over five sets, taking the match by scores of 15-25, 27-25, 25-22, 13-25, and 15-12.
Syracuse entered the match having dropped two matches against two ranked foes—No. 17 Baylor and No. 11 Marquette. The Orange concluded last season with an RPI of 36 after finishing 19-9 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
For the second time this season, junior outside hitter
Olivia Lohmeier recorded 25 kills, equaling her career-high kill total from the season's opening match against Winthrop. She registered her match-high 25 kills while hitting .262 from the outside, committing just eight errors on 65 swings.
Joining Lohmeier in double-figures was sophomore middle blocker
Mia Swearingen who also tied a career-high, slamming home 11 kills. Junior outside hitter
Lauren Rokey added eight kills, redshirt junior right-side hitter
Liz Allen tallied six kills, and sophomore middle blocker
Hannah Keating registered five kills to finish the scoring for Morehead State.
Making her first career start and orchestrating the offense, freshman setter
Bridget Bessler passed out 45 of the team's 51 assists. She also added 11 digs to tally her first career double-double.
Defensively, Morehead State raked up 49 total digs, paced by a pair of sophomores. Defensive Specialist
Olivia Montelisciani and libero
Allison Whitten tallied 12 digs apiece with Whitten eclipsing 10 plus digs for the 28th consecutive match.
At the net, Swearingen turned away a team-best five shots, leading the Eagles to six blocks in the match. Recording a solo block Friday night, she has recorded at least one solo deterrence in six of the eight matches on the season.
In service, Morehead State landed seven more aces against Syracuse, giving the Eagles 59 on the season while having pocketed at least five winners in each of the last four matches. Whitten and redshirt senior defensive specialist
Danielle McCarson produced two aces apiece while Lohmeier, Montelisciani, and redshirt sophomore defensive specialist
Taylor Hodges each tallied one.
With her ace tonight, Montelisciani has recorded at least one aces in seven of the team's eight matches this season. She leads the Eagles and the Ohio Valley Conference with 17 aces on the season.
Morehead State returns to action, wrapping the Kansas Volleyball Invitational, tomorrow afternoon. The Eagles face Pac-12 foe Arizona with first serve set for 1 p.m. ET.
