Blue Raiders begin 2025 campaign in Indianapolis

Friday, August 29

Indianapolis, Ind.

2 PM

Middle Tennessee

Purdue Fort Wayne

8/28/2025 2:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

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By: Andie Dolven / MTSU Athletic Communications

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Middle Tennessee volleyball team kicks off their 2025 season with matches against Purdue Fort Wayne, Evansville and Butler in Indianapolis, Ind. The Blue Raiders will compete in their first match of the year against Purdue Fort Wayne at 2:00 PM CT on Friday, Aug. 29. On Saturday, Aug. 30, MTSU will take on Evansville at 9:00 AM and the host Butler at 4:00 PM.

The Blue Raiders are entering a new era in Middle Tennessee volleyball, with an all-new coaching staff led by Alexa Keckler in her first season, and just three returners from the 2024 roster; seniors Marie Lowell and Caroline Macander, and sophomore Aowyn Schrader. This 2025 squad features 14 newcomers, including 7 freshmen and 7 transfers.

Scouting the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons

The 2025 season will mark the 12th under Head Coach Steve Florio, coming off a 17-15 2024 campaign and a 5th place Horizon League finish.

The Mastodons return 7 and add 7, including sophomore opposite transfer Avery Parris from Southern Illinois and international sophomore outside addition Miona Dimitric.

The freshman class sees the additions of Lili Smith and Haiden Means, the only two setters on the roster looking to fill the shoes of 2024 starter and assists leader Taya Haffner.

The Mastodons lose their leader in four out of five major stat categories, only returning their leading blocker of the 2024 season in Jena Medearis with 109 total blocks.

This matchup between MTSU and Purdue Fort Wayne will be the fourth in the series' history; the Blue Raiders currently hold a 1-2 record against the Mastodons, their last meeting in 2019 resulting in a 5-set win for Middle Tennessee. The match will be streamed on YouTube.

Scouting the Evansville Purple Aces

Evansville enters 2025 with Head Coach Zach Weinberg in his first season, looking to bounce back from their 6-24 record in their 2024 season.

The 2025 Purple Aces roster brings back 11 returners and 7 newcomers; including 6 freshmen, and 1 transfer in junior middle blocker McKenzie Laubach from Eastern Kentucky.

Evansville returns leaders in two of the five major stat categories, returning assists leader Kora Ruff and digs leader Ainoah Cruz.

This will be the 16th meeting between the Blue Raiders and the Purple Aces, with a current series record of 4-11. The last time the two teams clashed was in 2019, resulting in an Evansville victory. The match will be streamed on YouTube.

Scouting the Butler Bulldogs

The Butler Bulldogs were 7-23 last season and will begin their 2025 campaign with Head Coach Kyle Shondell in his 3rd season.

The 2025 Bulldogs roster features nine returners, four freshmen and one transfer in sophomore middle blocker Ellery Rees from Alabama.

Butler returns their leaders in two of the five major stat categories, returning kills leader Elise Ward and digs leader Lauren Evans. Kaylee Finnegan, third on the team in assists with 45, returns for her junior season and has been tabbed to step into a larger role in 2025.

The last meeting between the Blue Raiders and the Bulldogs was in 1996, Butler winning the matchup. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.

Quick Facts

Head Coach Alexa Keckler enters her first season at MTSU alongside associate head coach Sarah Gomish and assistant coach Aaron Hastings, also in their first seasons with the Blue Raiders.
The Blue Raiders return just three players from last season's roster, adding seven transfers in Logan Carr, Nora Marginean, Isil Yilmaz, Michaela Dlouhá, Payton Deidesheimer, Danit Cohen and MacKenna Poole, and seven freshmen in Ellie Watts, Raegan Durbin, Gabrielle Clinkscale, Ana Stojicic, Khalia-Leigh James, Ryan Oden and Trinniti Stevens.
Sophomore outside hitter Aowyn Schrader is the only returning contributor of last year's offense with 148 kills, accounting for 9.67% of the total 2024 offense.
Graduate transfer libero Isil Yilmaz begins the season with 936 career digs, putting her 64 away from the 1,000 career digs milestone.