Murray State volleyball had a tall order over Homecoming weekend, as they had matches against the Valparaiso Beacons and the UIC Flames.
Oct. 18 vs Valpo
Valparaiso gave Murray State a third-straight loss on Oct. 18.
The Beacons won the first set with ease, winning 25-15 and recording 17 kills and .405 attack percentage. Murray State responded by taking the second set 25-17 which was capped off by a Federica Nuccio service ace. The Racers wouldn’t win another set as the Beacons won the next two sets to close out the match, winning 25-20 and 25-23.
Nuccio and Ella Vogel led the Racers with 15 and 13 kills, respectively. Dahlia Miller had 22 digs and Bailey DeMier totaled 37 assists.
The Racers record moved to 9-8 and 4-4 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
Oct. 19 vs UIC
The Racers delivered a homecoming win on Saturday, defeating UIC in a 3-1 victory.
Murray State and UIC opened the match quite slowly, each team determined to prevent the other from gaining momentum. Both sides traded points back-and-forth, each retaliating after the other made a strong play. The Racers struggled to find consistency, however. Powerful kills, excellent coverage offensively and defensively, and smart dumps by setter Bailey DeMier highlighted their strengths, but these were often followed by blocking errors. Though not their best performance, it was enough to edge out a narrow win in the first set, 26-24.
Outside hitter Lily Burnett lifted energy, opening set two with a powerful kill landing just behind the 10-foot line. UIC’s setter Mihaela Harizanova and middle blocker Kayanna Jones quickly regained control, with Harizanova firing quick sets to Jones that threw off the timing of Murray State blockers. But much like in the first set, Murray State adapted, refusing to let UIC run away with the game. Libero Dahlia Miller impressive defensive work shone through with outstanding digs, helping the Racers compensate for their struggle at the net. The teams exchanged blows in intense rallies, both finding ways to keep the ball alive. But,Murray State built momentum late in the set, securing a 25-20 win.
The Racers started the third set in high spirits, but UIC’s right-side hitters disrupted Racers defense by repeatedly hitting down the line instead of cross-court. Racer blockers could not adjust in time, allowing the ball to sail untouched over the net to the back row. UIC’s blockers, on the other hand, rarely miss a beat while blocking this set. Despite the Racers’ attempt to close an 11-point deficit, UIC was able to send the game to a fourth set, 25-17.
During the break, Murray State seemed to regroup, determined not to let their defensive lapses continue. The fourth set marked the first time the racers found a drive from the start. DeMier’s setting paired with kills by Ella Vogel, Federica Nuccio, Lily Burnett and Darci Metzger fueled their offense. The Racers also capitalized on UIC’s mistakes, as the Flames’ back-row players lightly touched balls just before going out of bounds, giving Murray State points. UIC’s head coach used every allotted challenge to keep the game alive, but in turn lost all challenges. Murray State leveraged UIC’s defensive errors as leverage to claim victory in the four-set battle, 25-19.
Three different Racers had double-digit kills, headlined by Ella Vogel with a game-high 23. Metzger had 14 and a .455 attacking percentage for the match, and Lily Burnett had 12. Bailey DeMier finished with a game and season high 52 assists, bringing her season total to 709.
This was DeMier’s 24th 50-plus assist game of her career and first of the 2024 season. Her career high came against SIU Edwardsville in 2021 where she had 62.
Murray State’s next match will be in Springfield, Missouri, where the Racers will play the Missouri State Bears on Friday, Oct. 25. They then travel to Carbondale, Illinois for a match against the Southern Illinois Salukis on Saturday, Oct. 26.
