RICHMOND, Ky. – Recording back-to-back matches with double-figure kills for the first time in her career, sophomore outside hitter
Abby Hulsman slammed home a career-high 16 kills to lead Morehead State volleyball to a season sweep of in-state rival Eastern Kentucky.
Hulsman's career evening came behind a .387 hitting efficiency, recording 16 kills with just four errors on 31 swings. She closed the match registering nine of Morehead State's 19 kills in the third and final set.
In the match, the Eagles hit .384 as a team as four attackers their setter posted efficiencies greater than .375. Middle blockers, junior
Mia Swearingen, and redshirt freshman
McKenzee Wagener each recorded a .600-plus hitting percentage with Swearingen's .692 percentage a match-high.
Joining Hulsman with double-digit kills was senior outside hitter
Olivia Lohmeier who collected 10 in the match, hitting .391, committing just one error over 23 swings.
Sophomore setter
Bridget Bessler passed out a match-high 44 assists, her second-consecutive 40-plus assists match and fourth overall this season. She averaged 14.67 assists per set in the match passing out no fewer than 14 helpers in a set.
Leading Morehead State defensively, junior libero
Allison Whitten was the lone player with 10 or more digs, recording 16. Just behind her on the leaderboard for the Eagles were redshirt junior defensive specialist
Taylor Hodges and junior defensive specialist
Olivia Montelisciani who chipped in seven and six digs, respectively.
The Eagles also finished the match with five total blocks as Swearingen paced the block with a match-high-tying three total blocks with Lohmeier adding a pair of blocks.
Morehead State also landed five winners on the evening in service as Lohmeier tied a season-high with three service aces while Hodges and Montelisciani each added one.
With the two-game sweep of Eastern Kentucky to wrap the team's road schedule, Morehead State now returns home to finish its Ohio Valley Conference regular-season slate. The Eagles host Jacksonville State in a two-game series at Johnson Arena Sunday and Monday.
