Junior middle blocker Laura McDermott led the Morehead State volleyball team in kills for the second consecutive match, and the Eagles recorded eight aces Saturday (September 28) to top host Tennessee State 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-20) at Kean Hall. It also marked MSU's 11th straight victory over Tennessee State. The Eagles lead the series, 45-8.
McDermott landed 12 winners and hit .345, while senior outside hitter Aryn Bohannon served three aces and added seven kills on a .333 attack efficiency. Morehead State won its 24th consecutive Ohio Valley Conference match, its 25th straight OVC road match and improved to 2-0 in the league and 11-5 overall. The Tigers slipped to 0-2 in the league and 3-9 overall.
McDermott has 50 kills and a .336 hitting percentage in the last four matches. Bohannon upped her career kill total to 997. She is vying to become a member of the 1,000-kill, 1,000-dig club at MSU. Fewer than 10 players in program history have reached that mark in both categories.
The Eagles got a team-high 16 digs from senior libero Leslie Schellhaas as MSU edged TSU in digs, 49-46. The Eagles totaled 40 kills and hit .211. Tennessee State hit .145.
MSU junior right-side hitter Alex Fitzmorris added seven kills and a team-high four block assists. Arijauna Anderson had a match-best 13 kills for the hosts. Naomi Wells, the OVC leader in kills per set, was held to seven successful spikes but added 17 digs.
The Eagles raced to a 7-1 advantage in the opening set. TSU never led but rallied to make it a tight contest. MSU had a 18-15 lead late but scored the next three to gain momentum.
The second set featured only three lead changes. Morehead State distanced itself following an 8-8 tie with a 9-4 run. The final set saw six ties, but MSU never relinquished the lead. The hosts cut the margin to 21-20, but the Eagles scored the final four tallies.
Morehead State hosts Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday (October 2) at 7 p.m. MSU has won 14 straight matches against its in-state rivals.
