Sophomore Merideth Jewell and senior Sydney Schuler led the way with ten kills each as Morehead State volleyball concluded its 2016 campaign with a loss to SIU Edwardsville in the first round of the OVC Tournament on Thursday afternoon.
The Eagles finish the season with an 11-20 record.
"I am proud of the character and fight of this team. There were some areas of our game that have been solid all season that were not as present today," said head coach Jaime Gordon. "Credit SIUE for playing with a high level of consistency and aggressiveness."
After falling in the first two sets, the Eagles moved out to a 13-9 lead in the third set on a kill by freshman Karlee Reynolds. SIUE then jumped out to a 24-22 lead, but Morehead State answered as Jewell and Schuler recorded back-to-back kills to tie the match. After Schuler tied it again at 25-25 with another kill, SIUE clinched the match with two straight points, the last of which came on a service ace.
Morehead State finished with 41 kills to SIUE's 39, but managed just a .165 hitting efficiency to their opponent's .265.
Jewell's ten kills came on a game-high 36 attacks and she finished with a .083 hitting efficiency. She also added seven digs and two blocks. Schuler finished with a .222 hitting efficiency.
Senior Bailey Nichol finished with a game-high 30 assists and also added four kills on just ten attacks. Sophomore Jordan Jones had eight kills, while freshman Danielle McCarson finished with a game-high 16 digs.
With the loss comes the end of the careers for Schuler, Nichol, Hope Rillema, and Stacy Silver. As freshmen, the quartet helped lead the Eagles to an OVC regular season and tournament championship, en route to the program's second ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
