BOX SCORES (PRESBYTERIAN | GEORGIA STATE) | PHOTO GALLERY
MOREHEAD, Ky. – Christening a new nest, Morehead State volleyball began play in their new arena with a bang. The Eagles (4-1) opened play in Johnson Arena with a pair of straight-set victories, sweeping both Presbyterian (1-4) and Georgia State (3-2) Friday.
MOREHEAD STATE 3, PRESBYTERIAN 0
Morehead State opened play Friday morning, sweeping Presbyterian in the opening match of the 2019 Eagle Challenge. The Eagles outlasted the Blue Hose in the first two sets, taking the games 27-25 and 25-23 before taking the final set 25-18.
The offensive shined in the match, racking up 18 kills in each set, tallying 54 kills in the match. Morehead State picked up the 54 kills on 125 swings, hitting .248 for the match. The Eagle setters also picked up 52 assists in the match, good for a .963 assist percentage.
Junior outside hitter
Olivia Lohmeier paced the match, slamming home a match-best 18 kills. The total extends her streak of reaching double-figure, having done so in 16 consecutive matches. Fellow junior outside hitter
Lauren Rokey tallied 14 kills while sophomore middle blocker
Mia Swearingen added 10 to comprise the Morehead State double-digit contingent.
The trio also helped the Eagles record 12 total blocks in the match. Swearingen led the group, notching a career-best seven total blocks, including a pair of solo blocks. Lohmeier added five with Rokey and sophomore middle blocker
Hannah Keating adding four apiece.
On the back-line, Morehead State recorded 56 digs in the match as sophomores
Allison Whitten and
Olivia Montelisciani collected double-figure balls. Whitten led the Eagles with 13 digs while Montelisciani added 12. Freshman defensive specialist
Andrea Grimes nabbed a career-high seven digs in the match.
Freshman setter
Bridget Bessler averaged 15.5 assists per set, handing out 31 helpers in the match. In just one set of action, redshirt junior
Chandler Clark passed out 17 assists, combining with Bessler to help Morehead State average 17.3 assists per set for the match.
MOREHEAD STATE 3, GEORGIA STATE 0
In the finale of the opening day of the Eagle Challenge, Morehead State used a relentless and balanced attack to turn back Georgia State in straight sets. The Eagles took the three sets, 25-14, 25-19, and 25-8.
The Eagles balance began in the service game as the Eagles landed 11 aces on the night. Sophomore libero
Allison Whitten fashioned her jump serve to land a career-high five aces while redshirt senior
Danielle McCarson (three), redshirt junior setter
Chandler Clark, junior outside hitter
Olivia Lohmeier, and sophomore defensive specialist
Olivia Montelisciani (one apiece) added aces.
Offensively, Lohmeier reached double-figures for the 17 straight match—the only player in double-figures in the match. She committed just two errors, hitting .400 for the night. Sophomore middle blocker
Mia Swearingen (eight), junior outside hitter
Lauren Rokey (seven), sophomore middle blocker
Hannah Keating (five), Clark (three), redshirt junior outside hitter
Liz Allen (two), and freshman outside hitters
Abby Hulsman and
Peyton Kennedy (one) tallied terminations.
Kennedy's kill—late in the third set—was the first of her Morehead State career.
Defensively, Whitten reached double-digit digs for the 25th consecutive match, tallying a match-high 18 digs. Just behind Whitten were Montelisciani and redshirt sophomore defensive specialist
Taylor Hodges, who recorded eight and five digs, respectively. The Eagles also added four total blocks, paced by Swearingen and Rokey, who combined for three of the team's four blocks with Swearingen also adding a solo block.
NEXT UP
Morehead State returns to the court Saturday for its final match of the Eagle Challenge. The Eagles take on Providence (3-2) tomorrow at Johnson Arena with first serve set for noon.
