Blue Raiders Drop Five-Set Decision in Regular Season Finale

Friday, March 26

Boca Raton, FL

5:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

-510,48 CUSA

Florida Atlantic

-212,210 CUSA

Middle Tenn.

Fla. Atlantic

3/26/2021 8:17:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Middle Tennessee volleyball team concluded the 2021 spring regular season with a five-set loss to Florida Atlantic Friday evening at Abessinio Court at FAU Arena (14-25, 13-25, 25-21, 25-18, 13-15).

Freshman Amelia Van Der Werff tallied 12 kills, good enough for her 10th double-digit kill performance of her rookie campaign. Kayla Henley notched 10 kills, eight digs, and five blocks, while Samira Lawson Body and Emma Grever also topped the double-digit mark with 10 kills. Freshman setter Taylor Eisert earned a career-high five kills along with 40 assists in the match.

Defensively, Marley Banton put up 24 digs, and freshman Chloe Mingus had 10. Dasia Smith tallied a career-high eight blocks. Emma Grever also notched a career-high in blocks with five.

Up 4-3, the Owls went on a 6-1 run to capture a 10-4 lead in set one. Florida Atlantic continued to pour it on as they used another 6-1 run to push the lead to 18-8. The Blue Raiders pulled within seven, 19-12, but Florida Atlantic wrapped up the set, winning three of the next five to claim set one 25-14.

Set two was back and forth early as the score was tied at five. A 4-0 run by the Owls would force Middle Tennessee to take a timeout. With Florida Atlantic ahead 12-8, they won seven of the next nine to push the deficit to 18-10. Florida Atlantic reeled off five straight points to win the set, 25-13.

The Blue Raiders rattled off a 5-1 run to take a 9-3 lead and exhausting one of the Owls timeouts early in the third set. Florida Atlantic pulled within one, 15-14 before Middle Tennessee used another run, this time of 4-0 to open up a 19-14 lead. Blue Raider errors allowed the Owls to pull within two, 23-21. Middle Tennessee was able to hold on and win the set 25-21.

A hot Blue Raider start prompted an early Owl timeout in set four with Middle Tennessee ahead 6-3. The Blue Raiders used the early advantage to roll to a 25-18 win in set four, tying the match and forcing a fifth set.

Using the momentum from set four, Middle Tennessee opened the fifth up 4-2. Both teams would trade points up until the Blue Raiders took an 11-9 lead. Florida Atlantic won the next three points to take a 12-11 lead. The Owls would then use a kill, ace, and an error to swipe the set away, 15-13, and win the match.

Up next, the Blue Raiders will await their fate concerning the C-USA tournament starting next Thursday, Apr. 1, in Hattiesburg, Miss.

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