Story by Keenan Hall
Staff Writer
khall16@murraystate.edu
Game one: Murray State volleyball fell in four to the Arizona State Sun Devils 25-15, 25-15, 25-22 and 25-21.
The Racers opened the 2018 UNIWYO Invite by dropping the first two sets of the weekend. After the halftime break, Murray State seemed to play with a renewed focus and won the third set. The Sun Devils would come back and win the fourth set and foiled the Racers attempt to force their first fifth set of the season.
The Sun Devils took charge early in the match after starting on a 8-2 lead in the first set. The Racers quickly matched the scoring surge with a 11-6 scoring run of their own to tie the set score.
Arizona State responded with another run to win the first set by 10 points. The Sun Devils positioned themselves to win the first set by only committing three errors and nabbing nine kills, While Murray State obtained eight kills on eight errors.
The score was closer to start the second set after the Racers trailed 14-6 to start off before changes were made. However, Arizona State made it challenging for Murray State after posting 14 kills and committing two errors in the set.
The defense from the Sun Devils forced the Racers out of character, and held them to eight kills and seven errors in the second set. The score was the same as the first set, heading to the break 25-15.
Murray State fell behind with a 0-3 start in the third set, but responded with back-to-back kills to get things going. The Racers took their first lead at 6-5 and maintained control through the third set. Murray State gave Arizona State a taste of its own medicine and held them to nine kills and nine errors.
The Racers led the rest of the third set,while fending off a persistent Sun Devils squad. Murray State never led by more than three points, and led by 21-20 before head coach David Schwepker called a timeout. After the timeout, the Racers went on a 4-1 scoring run to force a fourth set.
Similar to the first two sets, Arizona State stormed out to a large 8-2 lead The Racers were able to make a stand bringing the score to 13-12. The Sun Devils head coach Sanja Tomasevic needed a timeout.
Arizona State stopped halted the Racers run and finished the set on a 13-8 scoring run. Murray State senior Dacia Brown led her team with a game-high 19 kills, while Racers’ junior outside hitter Rachel Giustino tallied 13 kills and 12 digs.
It was Gustino’s second double-double of the season while Murray State sophomore setter Ashley McBee finished with 29 assists.
Game two: Murray State rebounded from a loss earlier in the day with a sweep of the Binghamton Bearcats 25-15, 25-12, and 25-21.
The Racers bounced out of the gate with a 12-0 lead before the Bearcats got on the board, thanks in part to a few Binghamton errors and a few kills from Murray State.
Then the Bearcats closed the gap after a few errors from the Racers’ outside hitters. Murray State never lost control of the set, winning after scoring 12 kills and five errors. The Racers also posted a .269 attack percentage in the first set.
Murray State followed the first set with another commanding win in the second set. Binghamton scored the first two kills, before the Racers continued their strong play tying the score at 5-5. Murray State finished the second set on a 20-7 scoring run.
Murray State junior Rachel Giustino led the way for her team with 11 kills, while Giustino scored three kills in the second set, and Senior outside hitter Dacia Brown followed with 10 kills.
The Bearcats found their stride in the third set. The score went back and forth until Murray State broke out to a 17-13 lead midway through the third set.
Racers’ junior outside hitter Courtney Radle and Giustino scored two kills a piece after the scored was tied 13-13.
Murray State led down the stretch in the third set. Binghamton stayed within range, but struggled to come within four points. After a few Murray State errors and a kill from the Bearcats, the score was 23-21.
Head Coach David Schwepker wanted to discuss the game plan to finish the match. With the score 24-21 after a substitution, Racers’ junior libero Alex Kaufmann hammered the nail in the coffin with an ace to win the match.
Murray State freshman middle-blocker Kolby McClelland led the way with four blocks. Racers’ sophomore setter Callie Anderton dished a game-high 27 assists.
Murray State rounds out the weekend with a match versus the tournament host Wyoming Cowboys. The match will begin at 2 p.m., Sept. 8 in Laramie, Wyoming.
Game three: Murray State volleyball lost in three sets Saturday against the Wyoming Cowboys 25-14, 25-19 and 25-21.
The Racers junior outside hitter Rachel Giustino scored a game-high 14 kills, while Murray State sophomore setter Callie Anderton led the way for her team with 18 assists and sophomore middle-blocker Ashley McBee dished 14 assists.
The Cowboys established control of the match early after seizing a .571 attack-percentage in the first set. Wyoming finished the match with 12 blocks, while Murray State lost the dig battle 38-32.
The Cowboys stretched out to an early 10-3 lead in the first set. The Racers struggled to string together scoring runs.
Senior outside hitter Dacia Brown put Murray State on the board first. Giustino grabbed her first two kills during the Cowboys run. After Murray State’s 11 errors in the first set, Wyoming took the first set 25-14.
The second set was much of the same as the first. Murray State junior outside hitter Rachel Holthaus scored the first kill for the Racers to cut into a three-point lead from Wyoming. Anderton would then have two service aces to help tie the set 9-9 after an 8-6 scoring run.
The Cowboys regained momentum of the set after several costly errors from Murray State. With the score tied 12-12, Wyoming ended the set on a 13-7 run. The Racers scored nine kills in the second set, but committed nine turnovers.
The third set began with back-to-back kills by Murray State’s Giustino, and onekill a piece from Brown and McBee. The Racers opened up to a 11-6 lead before the Cowboys found their footing.
The set went back and forth, but Wyoming captured the lead at 17-16. Brown tried to keep her team in range after tying the set with a kill. The Cowboys ended the match on a 8-4 scoring run. Wyoming scored 11 kills and zero errors;a few late Murray State errors pushed the Cowboys over the top.
Giustino was named to the All-Tournament team, nabbing 38 kills in her last three matches.
The Racers will advance to play their last non-conference match of the young season. Murray State will travel up the road to play in the 2018 Billiken Invitational. They’ll meet the UNLV Rebels at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 14 in St. Louis, Missouri.