The Murray State Racers volleyball team got off to a 2-0 start in conference play this past weekend as they played their first home games. Through both of their matches, the Racers only lost one set.
Evansville
The Racers beat Evansville 3-0 in what seemed to be a pretty comfortable win for the Racers. All three sets were fairly back and forth, with neither team able to go on too big of a run. The Racers’ ability to close out each set with consistent play was the key to their success.
The Racers won the first set 25-18, with senior outside hitter Darci Metzger leading the team to get consistent kills. Evansville also let the set get away from them by committing eight errors.
The second set also went to the Racers with a closer score of 25-21. The Purple Aces, once again, had themselves to blame for many of the points scored against them, as they finished with nine errors in the set. Sophomore outside hitter Ella Vogel and sophomore middle blocker Haidi Miliou both tallied up the kills in the second set for the Racers.
The third and final set went down to the wire with the Racers taking it 31-29. With Evansville one point away from taking the set, the Racers came back and tied it at 24 apiece. Since a set must be won by two points, it went back and forth until the Racers were able to get three points in a row to win the set and match.
Indiana State
The Racers beat Indiana State 3-1 in their second match of this home opening weekend. One of the key stats in the game was blocks, as the Racers beat Indiana State 9-2 in that category.
The Racers took the first set handily with a 25-17 win. They got off to a hot start as Metzger started the set with four straight kills. The Racers were up 20-17 at the end of the set but were able to close it out with a stretch of five straight points.
The second set also went to the Racers with a score of 25-20 in a back-and-forth set. One big factor in this set was the seven errors that the Sycamores committed, one of which was late in the set and led to the Racers closing it out.
Indiana State took the hard-fought third set 25-22. Any run that either team went on was answered quickly. The Racers have been effective at limiting errors so far this season, but they committed a costly one that allowed the Sycamores to take the third set.
The fourth and final set went to the Racers 25-2, and they were able to close out their home opening weekend with a win. Errors once again played a big factor in deciding the set, as Indiana State committed 10 errors, three of them being all in a row late in the set.
What’s Next
The Racers will be back in action on Tuesday, Sept. 26 against the rival Belmont Bruins in Nashville. This will be the Racers’ first conference game on the road so far this season, and they will look to extend their win streak to four.
