Photo by Austin Lewis/MTSU Sidelines
Middle Tennessee volleyball traveled to North Carolina to take on Wake Forest for a one-off matchup Wednesday night. The Blue Raiders came off a weekend where MTSU only came away with one victory against Tennessee Tech in a five-set thriller in their final game. The Blue Raiders were unable to carry over their success against the Demon Deacons, however, losing 3-0.
The Blue Raiders battled back and forth with the Demon Deacons throughout the first set. However, a huge run by the Wake Forest extended their lead to six. The Demon Deacons run was sparked by two aces and great defense. The Blue Raiders slowly crept back into the set with an offensive spark from Dora Peonia and Delaney Gallagher, but it wasn’t enough for MT to overtake Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons took the first set 25-20.
For the remainder of the match, the Blue Raiders struggled to put points on the board. Errors played a part to the Blue Raiders offensive blunders. Their sloppy play allowed Wake Forest to capitalize on opportunities. Caroline Rassenfoss and Kylie Long led the Demon Deacons to a 25-13 dominating victory.
The status quo remained the same in the final set. The Demon Deacons relied on Rassenfoss and Long to carry them offensively. They collectively played solid defense which caused the Blue Raiders offense to stall. The Demon Deacons completed the sweep of the Blue Raiders, 25-10 in the third.
Delaney Gallagher led the Blue Raiders in kills (6) and Jacqueline Lux led the team in assists (16) and digs (6). Caroline Rassenfoss led the Demon Deacons with 16 kills offensively.
The Blue Raiders will prepare to travel to Richmond, Va., to participate in the Virginia Commonwealth University Invitational this weekend. Middle Tennessee will face off against Morgan State University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Liberty University in the tournament which begins Friday.
For more sports stories, follow us at www.mtsusidelines.com, on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines and on Twitter at @Sidelines_Sport.
To contact Sports Editor Connor Ulrey (@connorulrey), email sports@mtsusidelines.com.
