Story by Blake Sandlin
Sports Editor
Game one
Murray State volleyball dropped its match against the University of Las Vegas Rebels in four sets 25-19, 25-19, 25-19 and 25-14.
The Rebels out-hit the Racers in the match, scoring 47 kills to the Racers’ 42. Junior outside hitter Rachel Giustino and senior outside hitter Dacia Brown both produced 11 kills for the Racers.
Murray State sophomore libero Becca Fernandez led the way with 21 digs while Giustino added 15 digs in the match.
In the first set, the game was relatively close, with the Rebels largest lead being three. The Racers took advantage of three early errors by UNLV. Also, they added four kills. The Rebels led 10-8.
Murray State was never out of the first set. The Racers knotted the score at 13 points after back-to-back kills from junior setter Courtney Radle and junior right-side hitter Rachel Holthaus.
However, the Rebels won the set posting a 12-6 scoring run after the tie. Moving to the second set, Murray State emulated its start in the first.
Giustino forced an attack error, and UNLV followed that with a service ace. The Racers opened the set down two points. Murray State took the lead 3-2 after a pair of errors from the Rebels, and a kill by Radle.
UNLV eventually regained the lead 8-7. The Rebels stretched the lead 10-14 and that prompted Murray State Head Coach David Schwepker to talk things over.
Right out of the timeout, Giustino scored another kill, but UNLV responded by immediately forcing a kill. Most of the Racers’ points came from the Rebels’ errors. UNLV secured a 2-0 lead into the break behind a 25-19 set win.
The third set was as close as the preceding sets. Brown scored the Racers’ first point after falling behind 2-0 in the third set. The score was tied 10-10 before Murray State earned four points and took the lead.
Brown tallied three kills and Holthaus added one during a short run. The Rebels retrieved the lead 18-17 late in the third set.
Racer sophomore middle-blocker Katirah Johnson notched a kill to even the match 18-18. After two kills by Brown and a service ace from Giustino, Murray State improved to 21-18. Brown added two more to secure the win a 25-19. Brown scored eight of her 11 kills in the third set.
The Rebels took momentum back from the Racers in the fourth set. Murray State’s Johnson started the set with a kill that tied the score 1-1. Both teams traded points until the score was even at nine.
UNLV tallied four straight points that forced another timeout by Schwepker. The Racers answered with three straight points, UNLV ended the fourth set on a 12-2 scoring run.
The Rebels held off the Racers’ push for a fifth set by winning 25-14. Murray State’s sophomore setter Callie Anderton led her squad with 31 assists in the match. The Racers also grabbed 66 digs in the match.
Murray State will face off against the invitational hosts St. Louis Billikens. The Billikens have only one win in 11 matches this season. The Racers will play St. Louis at 12 p.m. Sept. 15 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Game two
Murray State defeated the invitational host St. Louis University Billikens in four sets, 25-20, 25-23, 25-18, and 25-16.
In the first set, Murray State started with a sizable 8-3 lead. Racers Brown began the match with the first point, and also recorded five kills in the first set, while Giustino added seven kills.
The Racers came out of the gate strong, scoring 16 kills in the first set. The Billikens could not put together enough scoring runs, and trailed by as much as seven early in the match.
The Billikens came within three points at 19-16, but to stop the run, Schwepker called for a timeout. Murray State responded with three straight kills and finished the set 25-20.
As for the second set, St. Louis opened with a 4-1 lead. Johnson scored the first kill. however, the Billikens extended their lead to six at 11-5.
St. Louis raised its attack percentage and scored more kills than Murray State in the second set, but, the Racers did not back down.
Late in the second set, St. Louis led 21-14 until Murray State forced a 4-0 scoring run to bring the score to 22-18. After a timeout from the Billikens, they withstood a late comeback effort from the Racers.
Murray State’s Matson scored a kill that brought the Racers within one point 24-23, but, St. Louis scored a kill that won the second set 25-23.
After the break, Murray State began the third set with a quick 3-0 lead after a kill from Brown and back-to-back service aces from sophomore libero Becca Fernandez.
The Billikens answered with a 3-0 scoring run of their own. Giustino put the Racers up 11-7 after a few kills and Billiken errors.
Murray State continued to score as it reeled off a 6-4 scoring run to drive the lead 17-11. The Racers advanced the score after capitalizing on Billikens’ errors and took the third set 25-18.
As for fourth set, the score was knotted at four to start it off. Johnson and Matson scored a kill a piece for the Racers and St Louis had two errors.
Giustino and Matson helped supplement a Murray State lead at 11-7 before the Billikens. Coming out of the timeout, St. Louis pushed within three points at 16-13.
Nonetheless, the Billikens got sloppy and committed five late errors. The Racers finished the match on a 9-3 scoring run to win the fourth set 25-16. Fernandez led the way with three aces and 11 digs.
Giustino seized a match-high 19 kills. Murray State senior outside hitter Dacia Brown racked up15 kills for second-most in the match.
Anderton almost had a double-double, finishing with five kills, 40 assists and nine digs.
Murray State had a season-high eight aces in the match. Kaufmann added 11 digs as well.
Game three
Murray State volleyball lost in three sets versus the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos 25-21, 25-11 and 25-20.
The Racers ended non-conference play by winning one of their three matches in the 2018 Billiken Invitational. After Murray State’s bounceback win over the Billikens, the Racers dropped three sets to the Kangaroos.
UMKC opened the first set with a 7-2 lead. Radle ended the Kangaroos’ run by scoring a kill with an assist from Brown.
Brown had a game-high 14 kills in the match. Giustino finished the match with 11 kill, third most in the match.
The Kangaroos led for most of the first set, though the Racers came within two points at 19-17. Giustino had just scored three kills in a row to close the deficit, however, UMKC ended the first set on a 6-4 scoring run.
The second set similar. The Kangaroos jumped out to a 10-4 lead before Giustino ended their run by scoring a kill.
UMKC went on a 15-7 scoring run to win the second set 25-11. Brown’s back-to-back kills were the last two point the Racers scored in the second set.
Murray State found its footing in the third set after it trailed 10-9 early in the set. Lindsay grabbed the first kill. Brown scored four kills during the run.
Murray State stayed in the match, never trailing by more than three in the set. Both teams traded points until a kill from McBee led to a 20-20 tie late in the set.
The Kangaroos countered with a 5-0 scoring run to win the match. Fernandez ended with a team-high 12 digs. Giustino added nine digs as well.
Murray State (6-6) went 1-2 in the Billiken Invitational, and will enter OVC play at .500 win percentage on the season. The Racers will meet conference rival UT Martin at 6 p.m. on Sept. 21 in Martin, Tennessee.