Volleyball Falls to Saint Louis in Season Opener

Friday, August 30

St. Louis, Mo.

6:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

0-1

Saint Louis

1-0

Middle Tennessee St.

Saint Louis

8/30/2019 9:34:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

By: @MTAthletics

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—After a tough match, the Blue Raiders volleyball team fell to the Saint Louis Billikens in four sets by scores of 22-25, 17-25, 25-21, 22-25 Friday evening in the Chaifetz Pavilion. The Blue Raiders fall to 0-1 on the season, while the Billikens improve to 1-0.

Junior Urte Neimantaite led the team in attacks finishing with 17 total kills. Dora Peonia finished with 14 kills and eight digs, while senior Bri Lankesley recorded 13 digs. Freshman Marley Banton dished out 11 digs in her debut as a Blue Raider and Taylor Hammill finished with a match-high 49 assists.

SET BY SET
The Blue Raiders started off strong, scoring the first point of the match off a kill from Urte Neimantaite. The two teams went point-for-point until the Billikens took a 5-3 lead. Middle Tennessee took a 6-5 lead after back-to-back kills from Samira Lawson Body and Hammill, and an ace from Lawson Body. St. Louis went on a 3-0 run, but was broken up by two aces from Banton to tie it up, 12-12. The Blue Raiders were up by two, 22-20, but Saint Louis created a 5-0 run to claim set one, 25-22.

In set two, the Billikens took a quick 3-0 lead, and continued to a 6-1 lead after a few Middle Tennessee errors. The Blue Raiders came back with back-to-back kills from Lawson Body, bringing the score to 6-4, Saint Louis. A 4-0 run from Middle Tennessee including two kills by Neimantaite tied it up at 9-9. The Billikens broke away from the Blue Raiders and clenched the second set, 25-17.

Middle Tennessee took a 3-0 lead at the start of set three, and kept the lead throughout the set. After the Billikens tied it up 4-4, the Blue Raiders went on a 5-0 run, which included three kills from Amalie Jorgensen and an ace from Dora Peonia, her third on the match, bringing the score to 9-4. The teams went back and forth the rest of the set, until a kill and an ace from Lawson Body ended the set with the Blue Raiders on top, 25-21.

The Billikens took a 7-2 lead at the start of the fourth set. Middle Tennesee came within one, 8-7, after a kill and an ace from Peonia, but Saint Louis continued to a 14-10 lead. The Blue Raiders went on a 4-0 run to tie it up at 14-14 after Banton served her third ace on the match. Middle Tennessee kept up the fight throughout the set, but Saint Louis claimed the win after two consecutive kills, 25-22.

UP NEXT
The Blue Raiders continue to day two of the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic in St. Louis. They will take on Portland State Saturday at 10 a.m., followed by Southern Illinois at 5 p.m. Live stats are available for both matches.

Keep up with Blue Raider Volleyball online: Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Volleyball on Facebook, @MT_Volleyball on Twitter and @mt_volleyball on Instagram.