Louisville, Ky.-- The Morehead State volleyball team ran into a buzz saw in the fourth-ranked Louisville Cardinals Sunday in the L&N Federal Credit Union Arena.
Louisville (2-0), last season's national runner-up, slugged a .451 attack percentage in their 25-13, 25-13, 25-17 sweep of Morehead State (1-2).
Sarah Heath and
M.E. Hargan paced the MSU attack. Heath finished with nine kills, hitting .211. Hargan's nine kills came on 32 swings for a .152 attack percentage.Â
Louisville was paced by Payton Petersen with 12 kills.
After an even start in the opening frame, the Cards used a 8-2 run to be the first to 20 and closed out the set with a four-point run. Louisville hit .412 in the frame to .059 for MSU.
The Cards turned up the attack in the second set, hitting .452 for the frame.
The Eagles return to action Friday when they host Toledo in the opening match of the Comfort Inn-Vitational Friday at 10:00 a.m., in Johnson Arena. MSU will square off with UIC Friday night at 7:00 p.m. to wrap up the first day. The first 50 people in attendance will receive free cheese pizza for Giovanni's Pizza Night.
Saturday, the Eagles will wrap up the tournament when they host Radford at 2:00. That match is Youth Volleyball Day; youth players wearing their game jerseys will receive free admission and there will be an autograph session after the game.
NOTABLE
- In a bit of an oddity, Morehead State has scored first in each set of the last two matches.
- M.E. Hargan was named to the All-Tournament team. Through the three matches, the senior from Elizabethtown slugged 41 kills hitting.262 for the event. She added 22 digs, six blocks and recorded two service aces. The Cards posted five service aces.
- Morehead State finished with four aces, all in the third set. After Kennedy Tinch recorded the Eagles' first ace, Amelia Nott got three in four points.
- Louisville posted a .398 attack percentage; Morehead State hit .092.
- Louisville posted 11 blocks; M.E. Hargan posted MSU's lone block.
- Louisville held a 50-37 advantage in digs.
