By Layne Weitzel, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – In its final home match before heading back on the road next weekend, Tennessee Tech fell to Murray State in three sets (12-25, 26-28, 14-25) Saturday afternoon.
Rachel Thomas led Tech with nine kills, while Susie Jeziorowski totaled a team-high .308 hitting percentage. Jeziorowski also collected 28 assists and 13 digs.
The Golden Eagles struggled in the opening set, allowing Murray State (13-7, 5-3 OVC) to double up their score 12-6 and extend its lead further. The Racers would win the first set by a score of 25-12.
The second set featured 13 tied scores and five lead changes, with Tech outhitting the Racers .220 to .211. The Golden Eagles pulled out to a 16-10 lead before an 8-2 run by the Racers knotted the score at 18-all. The teams battled back and forth, matching one another point-for-point. Tech earned a set-point opportunity with the score at 26-25, but Murray State rattled off three-straight points to win the set at 28-26.
Tech sat within striking distance of the Racers in the third set, trailing just 10-8 before a four-point Racer run extended their lead to 14-8. Murray State further built on its lead throughout the remainder of the set, winning it at 25-14 to end the match.
"The first and the third set were just mirrors of the exact same thing," said head coach Dave Zelenock. "We couldn't pass at all. That's why our offense was as bad as it was."