Courtesy: Morehead State Athletics
MOREHEAD, Ky. – After a host of career-nights for Morehead State volleyball on Wednesday, the Eagles (15-5, 6-1 OVC) return home to face Southeast Missouri (13-7, 5-2 OVC) on Saturday.
Wednesday night’s victory saw five players tie or set a combined 10 different career-highs. Freshman libero Allison Whitten established four new career-best, including kills (one), assists (two), service aces (three), and points (4.0). Redshirt sophomore setter Chandler Clark tied or set three career-highs with five kills, 16 digs, and 6.5 points. Also establishing new career-marks were sophomore outside hitters Olivia Lohmeier (10 kills) and Lauren Rokey (four blocks), and redshirt freshman defensive specialist Taylor Hodges (14 digs).
Morehead State’s victory over UT Martin also represented a major milestone in head coach Jaime Gordon‘s 16-year tenure at the helm of the Eagles’ volleyball program. The win marked Gordon’s 280th victory at Morehead State surpassing the previous program record held by former bench boss Jim McClellan (279, 1981-1990). The achievement marks the third major program milestone surpassed this season, joining the program’s 750th all-time victory (vs. Mercer, 8/31) and 350th all-time Ohio Valley Conference victory (vs. Tennessee Tech, 9/22).
The Eagles outlasted UT Martin through a total defensive effort that saw Morehead State held its opponent to a .126 hitting efficiency while scooping up 84 total digs. UT Martin’s .126 hitting percentage marked the 12th time this season the Eagles have held their opponent to a hitting efficiency under .150, leading Morehead State to the 10th best opponent hitting percentage figure in the NCAA. Morehead State’s 84 total digs marked the second-highest total by the Eagles this season while also marking the most team digs in a four-set match since 2016.
Lohmeier led Morehead State in kills Wednesday, totaling 18 on 44 swings, hitting .318. Senior right-side hitter Jordan Jones and redshirt senior middle blocker Jessie Wachtman slammed home 14 and 11 kills respectively, giving the Eagles a trio of hitters with 10 or more terminations. Lohmeier notched her first double-double of the season, joining Clark in the double-double club as Clark secured her ninth double-double of the season (44 assists and 16 digs).
Saturday’s match will include a recognition of Morehead State volleyball’s first head Laradean “Deanie” Brown and 15 former Eagles players from Coach Brown’s tenure at Morehead State (1972-1980). Brown led the Morehead State program to three Kentucky Women’s Intercollegiate Conference (KWIC) championships in her nine seasons as head coach with her 1979 squad finishing third at the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) National Regionals.
The match will be streamed live on the OVC Digital Network while live stats will be available through MSUEagles.com. First serve is set for 2 p.m. ET.
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