BOX SCORE
MOREHEAD, Ky. --- The Tennessee State Tigers dropped its road match to the Morehead State Eagles 3-1(25-14, 22-25, 25-13, 25-23) Friday evening in Wetherby Gym.
The Tigers are 0-2 against the Eagles this season, with its all-time series record versus MSU falling to 13-50. Big Blue is now 8-18 overall, 6-9 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while the Eagles improve to 19-19, 10-5 in the league.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Two Tigers registered double-digit kills: Julia Pierson 11 and Rachel Henderson 11.
- Both teams summed eight blocks on the night. Aria Holmes led the Tigers in blocks for the sixth match in-a-row with six.
- Three in double-digit digs, led by freshman libero Rivera Ortiz 21, freshman Micahlea Njie 12 and Julia Pierson adding 11, notching her 12th double-double of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Morehead State went up early on the Tigers, 12-3, continuing to hold the Tigers to single digits until set point, 24-9. A Rachel Henderson kill set off a five-point run before outside Jessie Wachtman ended the streak with a high-powered kill, 25-14.
Following the Eagle dominated set, Big Blue took an early lead on MSU, 9-4. TSU maintained the lead through slew of kills by MSU's spread offense, and as a repeat of set one, TSU made it to set point with MSU down by nine. The Eagles went on a 7-0 run, with help from Wachtman who went up for three kills. However, Wachtman went up for a fourth time to side out. The Tigers hit for a .324 match-best, registered three blocks, 18 digs and a Te'o ace to outpace Morehead State for a set, 25-22.
Big Blue struggled again in set three, pushing to 10 points only after the Eagles scored 23. One of MSU's eight match blocks closed the set, 25-13.
Aria Holmes went up for a kill to kick off the final set, allowing Big Blue to take the lead until late in the set. TSU went on a four-point run, followed by a three-point run for Morehead State. The teams tied it at 12, going point-for-point for the remainder of the match with a grand 11 tied scores in the fourth. Both TSU and MSU finished with plus .200 clips, with the Eagles out-digging the Tigers by one and out-serving Big Blue by two with three total aces – one by Jordan Jones clinching the match for Morehead State, 25-23.
MATCH NOTES
- Tennessee State is now 13-50 in the all-time series against Morehead State.
UP NEXT
The Tigers close out its regular season schedule at Eastern Kentucky, Saturday, Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. CDT.
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