CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Led by four players in double digit kills and digs, the Morehead State volleyball team beat the Eastern Michigan Eagles in four sets (25-23, 24-26, 25-14, 25-21) Saturday at MacLellan Gym to conclude the Chattanooga Invitational with a 2-1 mark.
The victory improved the Eagles' overall record to 7-5 on the season, wrapping up the non-conference portion of the 2023 schedule. MSU opens OVC action next weekend at Southeast Missouri.
The Eagles were led by a double-double from M.E. Hargan, who registered 12 kills and 13 digs on the day. Maycie Welborn pounded 19 kills with only two mistake attempts to help the attack. Welborn landed 43 kills and had only five errors in the three matches this weekend, hitting .500. Hollan Everett and Irene Wogenstahl rounded out the double digit kill totals with 13 each.
On the defensive end, Peighton Isley chipped in with 21 digs to go with a career-high six blocks from Amelia Nott. Shea Hefner (13) and Courtney Fitzgerald (12) also contributed to the season-high 84 digs for MSU.
Game Notes
» M.E. Hargan had a team-high two aces in the win.
» M.E. Hargan registered a double-double with 12 kills and 13 digs
» Morehead State never trailed on the way to winning the third set 25-14.
» Morehead State attackers were helped by a match-high 54 assists from Brenna Bommer, a season-high for her and just four short of her career high.
How It Happened
SET 1 | Morehead State opened up an early one set to none lead, taking a tight first set 25-23. Morehead State grabbed the advantage for good at 22-21 in a set that had just one lead change before MSU took over in the second half of the stanza. The Eagles' opening set win came in a stanza where 17 of their 25 points came via the kill.
SET 2 | Morehead State fell in the second set 26-24 to even the match 1-1. MSU came up short in a back-and-forth set, losing in a stanza that featured five lead changes and was tied 14 times. Neither team led by more than four points along the way.
SET 3 | Morehead State fought back following the second-set loss to grab set three and a 2-1 lead in the match. MSU scored first and never trailed in the set to earn a 25-14 victory. Morehead State opened up as much as an 11 point lead at 23-12 before finishing off the set, collecting 15 kills in the process.
SET 4 | Morehead State kept the momentum going, closing out the match with a 25-21 fourth-set victory. A strong performance on the attacking side led the Eagles to victory in the set. Morehead State registered a .308 attack percentage with 16 kills in the set win. After the lead changed hands three times, the MSU Eagles took control for good at 21-20 and rode that advantage to victory. Morehead State got a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked four Eastern Michigan attacks in the stanza.
