After a month of preseason practice, Morehead State officially opened the 2019 season Friday afternoon, competing at the Cristi Curtis Volleyball Invitational hosted by Winthrop. The Eagles opened the three-match event, dropping in five sets to their hosts.
Winthrop took the event's opening match, downing Morehead State 16-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-17, and 17-15.
Ending last season with 12 consecutive matches of double-digits kills, junior outside hitter Olivia Lohmeier picked right up where she left off a season ago, establishing a new career-high with 25 kills, hitting .212 on 66 swings. Her 25 kills eclipses her previous career-high of 21 kills, recorded last season at Toledo.
Junior outside hitter Lauren Rokey followed Lohmeier in double-figures with 14 kills as sophomore middle blockers Hannah Keating and Mia Swearingen notched career-best efforts, also reaching double-digit kills. Keating tied Rokey on the box score with 14 kills while Swearigen added 11.
Redshirt junior setter Chandler Clark extended her streak of matches with 25 or more assists, dishing out a match-high 58 helpers. Friday's opening match makes 32 straight matches in which she's reached 25 or more assists. Clark also chipped in eight digs and one kill in addition to her setting duties.
Defensively, sophomore libero Allison Whitten continued a streak of her own, scooping up double-digit balls for the 20th straight match. She concluded the match with 19 digs to pace Morehead State's backline, leading a group that saw four Eagles record 10 or more digs. Sophomore defensive specialist Olivia Montelisciani also added 19 digs to join Whitten atop the team's digs list while redshirt sophomore Taylor Hodges (17) and redshirt senior Danielle McCarson (16) also reached double-figures.
Morehead State recorded six blocks in the match with Swearingen leading with five total blocks. Allen and Rokey recorded the Eagles' additional blocks, recording three apiece. Morehead State also added six service aces in the match.
Morehead State returns to action at 4 p.m. ET, facing North Carolina A&T.
