Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Middle Tennessee State
Volleyball Defeats Middle Tennessee in Third Straight Win
11/2/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Box Score
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Marshall volleyball won its third straight match, trumping Middle Tennessee 3-1 on Sunday afternoon. The Herd dropped the opening set 25-22, but bounced back to take the next three games by scores of 25-22, 25-20, and 25-17.
The Herd improves to 13-14 on the season, and 7-5 in Conference USA play, while the Blue Raiders dropped to 7-19 (3-9).
Junior Lauren Legge (Pliny, W.Va.) reached a new career and season high, tallying 20 kills with a .442 hitting percentage. Sophomore Elyse Panick (Chicago) matched her season high with 15 slams, falling one shy of her career best.
Senior Sammie Bane (Brownstown, Ind.) turned in her fourth game this season with 50+ assists, notching 55 for the second time this season. Sophomore Ally Kiekover (Grand Rapids, Mich.) collected 13 kills with a match-best .650 hitting efficiency. Junior Jillian Shemanski (Jupiter, Fla.) continued to be a force at the net, putting up a solo rejection and three block assists, while turning in six kills and a .556 hitting efficiency.
"Today was a great team effort," head coach Mitch Jacobs began. "We knew going in we had to serve tough and play great floor defense, and we accomplished both. The efficiency we played with on the offensive side of the ball was a real added bonus."
"Lauren [Legge], Kiko [Kiekover], and Jill [Shemanski] continued to play with incredible efficiency on offense," Jacobs continued. "With just two errors between them, it really shows what we can do if we keep the ball in system. Elyse [Panick] took another step in a positive direction as well, playing high and making Middle play floor defense and not getting stuck in their huge block. By far, her best offensive game of the season, not to mention since her switch to the left side."
"Allie [Kellerman] and Cassie [Weaver] were awesome on defense today. I can't say enough for the way those two helped turned the momentum of set two around and really controlled set three. Kayla [Simmons] came in and served very tough to give us a big momentum boost in set four."
Kellerman and Weaver combined for 39 digs during the contest, and Simmons recorded a career high three service aces.
In the first stanza, Marshall trailed by as many as five, but forced six ties in the set. The Herd went on a three point and four point rallies late into the set to equalize and then take control of the game. Back-to-back attack errors cut the Marshall lead and Middle Tennessee took the set 25-22.
The Blue Raiders continued to control the court to begin game two, going up 5-1 early. The Herd went on a four point run to match the score, and then continued to remain within one through the middle of the set. The Herd poured it on late in the frame, taking the lead off a Justice Craft (Kentwood, Mich.) kill and adding insurance off of Shemanski, Weaver, Panick, and Legge slams to take the set 25-22.
Marshall maintained momentum heading into the third set, picking up the first two points of the game. Middle then went on a four point run, and stole the lead. The Herd then went on its own four point rally, tying the set at 10 apiece. The two teams continued to battle, going into nine tied scores before Marshall won six of the last seven points, taking the game off of an Allie Kellerman (Louisville, Ky.) service ace at 25-20.
"With all that said about those players, it was Sammie's [Bane] leadership between sets one and two that should be recognized most," Jacobs finished. "I lit into the team for a lackadaisical set one, and as the true leader she is, she calmed the group down, demanded they pick things up and went out and made it happen. She's truly special and I know this team couldn't be successful without her."
Leading the match 2-1, Marshall grabbed the first 10 of 13 points. The Herd continued to dominate, leading by as many as 11 points in the set. Marshall ended the set with a block by the Shemanski/Legge duo, taking game four 25-17 and the match 3-1.
The Herd returns to Huntington for its final home weekend, welcoming Florida Atlantic on Friday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. and facing Western Kentucky on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.
