Featured photo by Lucas Larkin
Story by Brett Walker
Murfreesboro, TENN- Middle Tennessee State volleyball (12-6, 4-3) kept its perfect home record alive Saturday night as the Blue Raiders defeated Sam Houston State 3-0 at Alumni Memorial Gymnasium.
MTSU and Sam Houston (7-13, 1-6) battled it out early in the first set, as the two teams traded blows. The score was knotted at six apiece before the Blue Raider defense took control. The net defense was led by graduate student Kaylee Oscarson, who registered ten blocks on the night. Oscarson’s stellar net play helped set the tone for the rest of the matchup as the Blue Raiders took the first set 25-14.
“You know we’ve been really practicing trying to make good moves and learn how to grow on defense, and tonight it just really showed,” Oscarson said.
Despite an eleven-point win in the first set, MTSU was pushed to its limit in the second set. The Blue Raiders led the entire way until Sam Houston State took its first lead of the set at 18-17. Despite the momentum change, MTSU rallied and scored six of the next eight points to win the set 25-20.
While defense was the story of the night, the Blue Raiders offensive attack proved to be more powerful than that of the Sam Houston Bearkats. MTSU tallied 38 kills as opposed to Sam Houston’s 19. The Blue Raiders also recorded eight service aces to the Bearkats zero. One quarter of the team’s aces were recorded by graduate student Erin Eisenhart who now has 16 on the year.
“I feel like my serves set up my team tonight by getting the other team out of system and by giving us an opportunity to get easier balls back over the net,” Eisenhart said. “Just making sure they’re aces or they’re getting ones on their passing,”
After a grueling second set, MTSU coasted to a 25-11 victory in the third and final set to sweep Sam Houston State 3-0.
Brett Walker is a sportswriter for MTSU Sidelines. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com. Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mtsusidelines, or on X @MTSUSidelines.
