MTSU to Host LA Tech on Friday and FAU on Sunday

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee volleyball team is set to play two Conference USA matches this week at home. The Blue Raiders will play host to Louisiana Tech on Friday, October 28 at 6:00 p.m. CT and Florida Atlantic on Sunday, October 30 at 11:00 a.m. CT. Both matches this weekend will be streamed on ESPN+.

Last week the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (13-9, 2-6 C-USA) were unable to win a set, losing in sweeps to UAB and WKU. This marks the first time this season that the team has lost three matches in-a-row. Freshman Adri Rhoda continued to play her best last week, leading all freshmen in conference in the attack, serving, and scoring. Rhoda hit home a team-leading and conference-freshmen leading 22 kills on a .404 hitting percentage to go along with four service aces.

As the standings sit heading into this weekend, the Blue Raiders are currently in ninth, just one spot out of the Conference USA Championship Tournament. Including this weekend's matches, Middle Tennessee will have six more matches before the postseason begins.

Blue Raider Quick Facts

Against FAU earlier this season, Rhoda broke the single-season service ace record and led the team with 10 kills on a .333 attack percentage. Senior Kaylee Oscarson had a team-leading hitting percentage of .600 and tallied seven kills.
Rhoda has 53 service aces on the season already, giving her first place on the 25-point scoring era records list. Rhoda sits in sole possession of 9th on the all-time single season list, just one ace away from tying Jaemi Clayton who had 54 aces in 1996. She is the first Blue Raider since 1996 to have 51 or more aces in a season.
Senior Marley Banton currently sits at 1,179 career digs, needing 14 more digs to tie the current 25-point era program record for digs in a career at 1,193.
Rhoda ranks second in the nation for total aces and third for aces per set so far this season and is first in conference for both of those categories. She is the only player in the nation averaging at least 3.0 kills per set and .68 aces per set.
The Blue Raiders are currently in ninth place in C-USA, needing to at least be in eighth to reach the conference tournament in a few weeks with six matches left in the regular season.

Scouting the Lady Techsters | ESPN+ | Live Stats
The Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (10-14, 3-6 C-USA) were able to get their second win of the conference season last week in a five-set win over North Texas at home. Florida Atlantic swept the Lady Techsters the night before, whom the Blue Raiders have already swept this season and look forward to playing this Sunday.

MTSU leads the all-time series 9-2 and are on a one-match win streak last beating them in 2019 before covid struck college athletics. At home, the Blue Raiders are 5-1 against the Lady Techsters

Scouting the Owls | ESPN+ | Live Stats
The Florida Atlantic Owls (13-8, 3-6 C-USA) are taking on the Blue Raiders for the second and last time of the regular season. The Blue Raiders topped the Owls in a sweep on Friday, October 14, in which was possibly the team's best performance of the season. The part of the three-set sweep that stuck out the most was the runs that the Blue Raiders were able to go on, including five runs with four or more points scored in-a-row and holding the Owls to 23 one-and-dones throughout the night.

MTSU leads the all-time series 17-11, beating them in their first matchup of the season in Boca Raton, 3-0. Last season, the two teams split their season series after playing two five-set matches in Murfreesboro.

Keep Up with the Blue Raider Volleyball Team
Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Volleyball), Instagram (@mt_volleyball), and Facebook (Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Volleyball).

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Players Mentioned

Marley Banton

Kaylee Oscarson

Adriana Rhoda

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics