NASHVILLE, TN --The Tennessee State Tiger volleyball team fell to the Morehead State Eagles in their season finale 3-2 (18-25, 25-14, 19-25, 25-19, 12-15) Thursday at home at Kean Hall Gymnasium. The loss dropped Tennessee State's record to 2-26 overall and 2-16 in OVC play.

The Tiger offense was paced by three players in double-digits in kills. Celestial Miller finished with 14 on the day, while Storm White and Jayla Holcombe chipped in with 11 apiece. TSU's balanced attack was helped by Aleksandra Rojecka's 20 assists and Hennesys Lalane's 16. Defensively, the Tigers had two players reach double figures in digs as Celianiz Cabranes had a match-high 28 and Rayna Williams had 12. Miller just missed a double-double, registering nine assists. Alondrah Santana-Rodriguez contributed eight blocks from the front row, and the versatile Rojecka added five rejections.

Game Notes

» Tennessee State had three players in double figures in kills.
» Hennesys Lalane had a match-high three aces in the loss.
» Celestial Miller had a team-high 14 kills for Tennessee State.
» Tennessee State got a match-high 28 digs from Celianiz Cabranes.
» Tennessee State attackers were helped by a team-high 20 assists from Aleksandra Rojecka.

How It Happened

SET 1 | 18-25 Tigers Can't Overcome Mid-Set Run
The Tigers found themselves in an early hole, dropping a challenging first set 25-18. Tennessee State trailed by as many as nine points as Morehead State grabbed the advantage for good at 10-9 in a set tied up three times before the Eagles took control. A 7-1 MSU run right before the media break was the difference in the set. White led TSU in kills with three. 

SET 2 | 25-14 Block Party Gives TSU the Equalizer in Sets
Tennessee State tied the match at 1-1 following a 25-14 second-set win. The Tigers grabbed control of the set lead early on at 4-3 and held the lead the rest of the way. Tennessee State opened its most significant lead of the stanza, 11 points, to finish the set. Tennessee State's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking six Morehead State attacks in the stanza and capitalizing on 12 Morehead State attacking errors on the way to victory. TSU set the tone at the beginning of the set by blocking three shots. A Tiger 7-0 run made the score 10-3, forcing a Morehead State timeout. MSU chipped away to cut the lead to five at 14-9, but a quick 2-0 Tiger run forced the Eagles to call their second timeout of the set. The Tigers were the first to 20, making the score 20-13, then on the strength of a 4-1 run, finished off the set. 

SET 3 | 19-25 Tigers Can't Hold on to Early Lead
Tennessee State fell in the third set, putting the Tigers in a 2-1 hole. TSU dropped a tough set 25-19. Tennessee State trailed by as many as eight points as Morehead State grabbed the advantage for good at 11-10 in a set that was tied up three times before the Eagles took over the lead. The Tigers out to an 8-3, forcing an early Eagle timeout. MSU chipped away and took the lead by scoring ten of the following eleven points. After trading pints, the Eagles went on a 3-0 run to stretch the lead to 22-14. The Tigers went on a 3-0 to make it close but couldn't get any closer. 

SET 4 | 25-19 Runs Fules Tigers to Tie The Match 
Tennessee State then responded to secure set four 25-19 to force a fifth set. The Tigers took the lead for good at 7-6 in a set with just one lead change before the TSU took over. With the score tied at six, the Tigers went on a 6-0 run to make it 12-6. They then went on a 5-0 run to make the score 20-12. With the 22-14, MSU chipped away on a 5-1 run to make it interesting at 23-19. White then made an impressive kill that crawled halfway across the net to make it set point. A kill by Miller finished the set. 

SET 5 | 12-15 Late Push Gives MSU The Match
Tennessee State was on the wrong side of a back-and-forth match, winning the second and fourth sets but losing the first, third, and fifth, which they dropped by the score of 15-12, to fall in the match. The Tigers were in it until the end of the set, holding the lead at 11-10 before Morehead State rallied to grab a win in the stanza.