Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
10-9,2-5CUSA
Liberty
15-5,3-4CUSA
Blue Raiders take down Flames in five-set thriller
10/17/2025 10:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee Volleyball took down the Liberty Flames at home in a five-set thriller. The set scores were as follows: 25-17, 20-25, 24-26, 27-25, 15-13.
The Blue Raiders had a stellar match both offensively and defensively. Middle Tennessee posted a season high 67 kills and 64 assists, and a tied third best 71 digs as a team. The Blue Raider freshman outside hitter duo had themselves a night; Gabrielle Clinkscale posted a career high 19 kills on a .424 hitting efficiency and Raegan Durbin totaled 24 kills, her third match of the season with 24 or more kills. Both pins had at least six or more kills than any Liberty player in the match. Michaela Dlouhá also posted double-digit kills for Middle Tennessee with 10.
Three Blue Raiders notched double-digit digs, Isil Yilmaz leading all players in the match with 20. Caroline Macander tallied 16 digs to complement her career high 53 assists to garner yet another double-double. Mackenna Poole was the third Blue Raider with double-digit digs, totaling 11 on the match. Michaela Dlouhá assisted in six of Middle Tennessee's eight blocks, Caroline Macander and Payton Deidesheimer each tallying three.
"The whole match was a battle," said Head Coach Alexa Keckler. "To see them step up in those last few points of the fifth set and just put it away was really awesome."
By the Numbers
424: Gabrielle Clinkscale's .424 hitting efficiency led all attackers in the match and was a career best.
14: Caroline Macander posted her 14th career double-double.
6: Michaela Dlouhá's six blocks tie the most by a Blue Raider this season.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders take on the Flames again tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. CT in the Alumni Memorial Gymnasium. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
Keeping Up with the Blue Raiders
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