Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
Middle Tennessee State
Middle Tennessee Downs Volleyball in Three Sets, 3-0
08.29.09 | Volleyball
Aug. 29, 2009
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Falling in three sets to host Middle Tennessee, the Xavier volleyball team fell to 1-2 for the season after a 22-25, 21-25, 21-25 loss to the host Blue Raiders Saturday night at the Middle Tennessee Invitational. Senior Hillary Otte was the only Musketeer to reach double-digit kills in the loss with 10.
Otte and junior Claire Paszkieiwcz were named to the All-Tournament team for their efforts over the three-match tournament. Also for the Musketeers, freshman Stephaine Vorherr got under a team-high 13 digs while senior Lauren Kaminsky added 11. Kaminsky, along with senior Kelly Ruth, tallied six kills in the contest as well.
Middle Tennessee (3-0) jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead on the strength of three kills from Stacy Oladinni but the Musketeers cut the Blue Raider lead in half at 6-4. Both squad continued to trade points until XU rattled off three straight to pull within one, 11-10. MT answered with a run of its own, notching four consecutive points to talk its largest lead of the set, 15-10.
Xavier (1-2) cut the Middle Tennessee lead to one again, 16-15, and knotted the set at 19 apiece after a kill from Otte and two Blue Raider errors. The Musketeers took their first lead of the frame, 20-19, on a MT attack error but quickly relinquished the advantage as the Blue Raiders tallied two straight points. Holding set point, 24-22, the Blue Raiders closed out the frame with a kill to go up one set to none. Ruth and Otte led the Musketeers with four kills each.
The Musketeers opened the second set with a 4-2 advantage before the Blue Raiders squared the frame at four all. The two squads traded points, tying the set several times, until MT went on a 4-0 run to take a 15-12 lead. The frame was tied three more times when two MT points gave the home team the two-point advantage, 20-18, and XU called timeout.
Cutting the lead to one, 22-21, the Musketeers forced the Blue Raiders into a timeout to talk it over. Out of the break, Middle Tennessee took the second second with three straight points and held the 2-0 match advantage. Otte added four more kills in the frame for the Musketeers.
In the third set, the Musketeers earned their first lead, 4-3, with a kill from Otte. Both teams continued to battle and with Xavier holding the 13-12 margin, Middle Tennessee put together a 5-1 run to take control of the frame, 17-14. XU wasn't going without a fight and the Musketeers tied the set at 18-all. Middle Tennessee ended the set with a 7-3 run to take the set, 25-21, and the match, 3-0.
The Blue Raiders were led by Izabela Kozon with a match-high 15 kills and Ashley Waugh with a match-high 16 digs.
The Musketeers will return to action next weekend when they play host to the 2009 Xavier Invitational Sept. 4-6. XU will welcome Michigan, Tennessee and Notre Dame to Cintas Center.
