BOX SCORE
MOREHEAD, KY --The Morehead State volleyball team displayed notable resolve in a 3-2 win over the Tennessee State Tigers Friday at home at Johnson Arena, rallying from a 2-1 deficit in a match that went back and forth all five sets.
The conference win improved Morehead State's record to 8-9 overall and 4-2 in OVC play. TSU slipped to 8-12 and 2-5 in the OVC. MSU is now 36-3 all-time versus the Tigers in matches played in Morehead.
Game Notes
» Morehead State had three players in double figures in kills, including Abby Hulsman who had a match-high 16.
» Maycie Welborn and Sydney Wyman charged up the offense with 14 successful kills each.
» Morehead State had three players in double figures in digs, including a team-high 16 by setter Bridget Bessler. It marked her second straight match leading the team in digs.
» Shea Hefner had a match-high two aces in the win.
» Morehead State attackers were helped by a match-high 50 assists from Bridget Bessler, who had her second straight double-double. She has 3,491 career assists now.
» After making 13 errors and hitting -.023 in the third set, MSU's attack hit .523 in the fourth and combined for 25 kills and just five errors in the final two sets.
» Peighton Isley (13) and Andrea Grimes (11), MSU's other two back row defenders, had double-digit digs as well.
» TSU front row blocker Gabrielle Johnson has 13 block assists and three solo blocks, coming up one short of the OVC record for single-match block assists (set in 1996).
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Eagles found themselves in an early hole, dropping a tough first set 25-18. Morehead State trailed by as many as eight points as Tennessee State grabbed the advantage for good at 3-2 in a set that was tied up four times before the Tigers took control.
SET 2 | Morehead State tied the match at 1-1 following a 25-20 set-two win. The Eagles never trailed by more than five points and grabbed the advantage for good at 16-15 in a set that showcased two lead changes before the Eagles took over in the second half of the stanza.
SET 3 | Tennessee State took a 2-1 match lead after defeating the Eagles in the third set. The Eagles lost the first point and fought from behind the rest of the way before losing the set 25-19.
SET 4 | Morehead State then responded to win set four 25-9 to force a fifth set. The Eagles took a 1-0 lead and never looked back in the set to secure the victory. Morehead State finished up the stanza on a strong note, claiming its biggest lead, 16 points, to close out the set, totaling 16 kills while only committing one attack error in the set.
SET 5 | Down two sets to one, Morehead State fought back to win sets four and five, culminating in a 15-10 fifth-set victory, to take the match 3-2. The Eagles took the lead for good at 11-10 in a set that showcased two lead changes before the Eagles took over the lead.
Up Next
MSU is back on the road this coming week, heading to long-time OVC rival Tennessee Tech Wednesday and league newcomer Little Rock for two on Friday and Saturday.
