Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Marist
Volleyball gears up to host Blue Raider Bash
9/4/2025 3:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee volleyball is set to host the Blue Raider Bash in the Alumni Memorial Gymnasium, which will feature matches against Marist, UT Martin, and power four opponent, Mississippi State. The Blue Raiders will play their home opener against the Red Foxes of Marist on Friday, September 5 at 6:00 p.m. The Blue Raiders will then take on the Bulldogs of Mississippi State on Saturday, September 6 at 5:00 p.m. and the Skyhawks of UT Martin on Sunday, September 7 at 3:00 p.m.
The Blue Raiders aim to build on their 2-1 start to the 2025 season. With the previous weekend featuring well-rounded team performances against Purdue Fort Wayne and Evansville, Middle Tennessee will strive for continued success this weekend with home court advantage.
Six different Blue Raiders contributed double-digit performances to total 15 across the weekend, Raegan Durbin and Caroline Macander both securing their first career double-doubles. Durbin, Michaela Dlouhá, Payton Deidesheimer and Aowyn Schrader combined for five double-digit kill performances, highlighting the balanced Blue Raider attack.
Caroline Macander had a stunning weekend on all sides of the ball. Macander currently leads the team in assists and digs and is third on the team in total blocks. She set several career highs including her 46 assist and five block performance against Evansville, and stunning 26 dig effort against Purdue Fort Wayne. Macander averaged 8.25 assists per set and secured two double-doubles across all three matches. At the conclusion of the weekend, Macander was named to the Big Dawg Kickoff All-Tournament Team and was recently named TSWA College Volleyball Player of the Week. Logan Carr, who leads the team with 12 total blocks and a .414 hitting efficiency, was also named to the Big Dawg Kickoff All-Tournament Team.
Middle Tennessee had a fantastic weekend from the service line, totaling 20 aces in their three matches, combining for the most in comparison to every opponent faced in Indianapolis. Raegan Durbin and Marie Lowell tie for a team high five aces to lead the Blue Raiders in the pressure from the Middle Tennessee service line.
Scouting the Marist Red Foxes
Marist enters the weekend 0-3 under Head Coach Sean Byron in his 7th season.
The Red Foxes leaned on performances from outside hitter duo Sara Dasic and Mallory Reck, who occupy the top two positions in kills on the Marist roster, Dasic making the Buffalo Invite All-Tournament Team. Sophomore setter Caelyn Dumas spreads the offense, the clear assists leader with 87 of Marist's 102 assists. The Red Foxes displayed a balanced defense, with five players totaling double-digit digs at the conclusion of the weekend.
The matchup between Middle Tennessee and Marist will be the first in the series' history. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
Scouting the Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State enters the Blue Raider Bash as the only undefeated team, led by Julie Darty Dennis in her 8th season.
The Bulldogs' offense was led by standout freshman outside hitter Lindsey Mangelson, who tallied 40 kills across Mississippi State's three matches, garnering her SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Carly Hanson, who was named SEC Setter of the Week, totaled 109 assists across the nine sets of the weekend. Mangelson and Hanson were both named to the Maroon and White Invite All-Tournament Team. The Bulldog defense, led by Mckenna Yates, combined for 133 digs on the weekend.
The Blue Raiders and the Bulldogs have met four times prior to this weekend. Middle Tennessee holds a 1-3 record against Mississippi State, the sole win coming from the most recent matchup in 2003. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
Scouting the UT Martin Skyhawks
UT Martin, led by the winningest head coach in their NCAA Division 1 era, Jaclynn Wilson in her 11th season, enters the weekend 0-2.
The Skyhawks relied heavily on performances from outside hitter duo Kayla Bryant and Kylie Surratt, who combined for 39 kills across two matches. No other Skyhawks have double-digit kills on the season. UT Martin saw both redshirt-freshman Ella McFarland and true-freshman Ava Peters in the setter position, the two combining for 49 assists on the weekend. The Skyhawks defense was much more balanced, with four players totaling double-digit digs.
This will be the 33rd match against UT Martin, the most recent matchup featuring a Middle Tennessee victory, with the overall series record standing at 12-20. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
Quick Facts
- Caroline Macander was named College Volleyball Player of the Week by TSWA after 99 assists, 46 digs, and two double-doubles on the weekend.
- The Blue Raiders enter the weekend tied for first with the Mississippi State Bulldogs in service aces per set across all competing teams.
- Payton Deidesheimer leads the Blue Raiders with 33 kills, Raegan Durbin and Aowyn Schrader each with 25 kills trailing Deidesheimer.
- Graduate transfer libero Isil Yilmaz is 21 digs away from the 1,000 career digs milestone.
Keeping Up with the Blue Raiders
Follow the Blue Raiders on social media:
Twitter/X @MT_Volleyball (https://twitter.com/MT_Volleyball)
Instagram @mt_volleyball (https://www.instagram.com/mt_volleyball/)
and Facebook Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Volleyball (https://www.facebook.com/BlueRaiderVolleyball).
