Blue Raiders Fall to Southern Illinois in Four Sets

Tuesday, September 2

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

6:00 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

1-3

Southern Illinois

1-3

Southern Illinois

Middle Tennessee

9/2/2014 11:16:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Sophomore Jazmyne Johnson notched a career-high 17 kills and a .727 hitting percentage but it was not enough as the Middle Tennessee volleyball team fell in four sets to Southern Illinois Tuesday evening at Alumni Memorial Gym. MT falls to 1-3 on the season while Southern Illinois im to 1-3.

Junior Chelsea Ross was second in line with 14 kills and junior Maya Miller set a new season-high with 13 kills. Freshman Brianna Pannone tallied a team-high 24 assists and freshman Jacqueline Lux paced the Blue Raiders with 11 digs.

The Blue Raiders clicked on all cylinders in the first frame, posting a .560 clip (16-25) to take the first set 25-17. MT wouldn't relinquish the lead after taking a 4-3 advantage followed by a kill from Ross and the Blue Raiders take their largest lead at 18-10.

Southern Illinois made a push with a 6-1 run to cut the gap to three, 19-16, but MT scored six of the next seven points to take 1-0 lead in the contest.

MT jumped out to a 7-3 advantage in the second set before going up by as much as seven, 22-15, after Ailime de Freitas set up Miller for the kill. However, the Salukis stormed back to eventually force the match into extra sets and capture the set 26-24 to tie the match 1-1.

The third set went back and forth early in the match with five ties and six lead changes before SIU took control of the match after breaking a 5-5 tie and keeping the lead the rest of the way.

MT closed within three, 16-13, but the Salukis answered any comeback the Blue Raiders had and won the set 25-20 to take a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth set.

Like the third set, the fourth set was closely contested early in the stanza. Although the Salukis took control after a 7-7 tie and went on a 11-5 run to take a 18-12 lead.

MT would cut the lead to two, 24-22, after stringing together a 10-6. However, the Salukis scored the next point to take the set and the match.

The Blue Raiders will look to make some noise this weekend at their second round-robin tournament in as many weeks as they will make the trek to Manhattan, Kan., for the Kansas State Invitational where they will play UCF, Kansas State and Arkansas.