Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Friday, September 25
Lynchburg, Va.
5:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
10-3,1-0CUSA
3
at
2
Liberty
8-5,0-1CUSA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Tenn. | 18 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
| Liberty | 25 | 14 | 25 | 22 | 13 | 2 |
Volleyball Wins Thriller Over Liberty in Conference USA Opener
9/25/2026 10:15:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
LYNCHBURG, Va. — The Middle Tennessee volleyball team continued their momentum into Conference USA play Friday, defeating Liberty 3-2 in a thrilling five-set match at the Liberty Arena.
MTSU (10-3, 1-0 Conference USA) is off to its best start since 2022, a year which also saw the Blue Raiders start 10-3.
"It was a really well played match by both teams," head coach Alexa Keckler said. "We did a good job adjusting as the match went on.
"There was certainly excitement around the first road win."
Liberty (8-5, 0-1) broke a streak of four-consecutive wins in the loss.
Sophia Henry led the Blue Raiders, picking up her second double-double of the season with a 20-kill, 10-dig performance.
"You want a kid saying 'give it to me, I'll carry it,'" Keckler said of Henry. "It's cool to see her want it, but then also be able to handle that pressure."
Michaela Dlouhá also had a double-double on the night, collecting 13 kills and 10 blocks.
Dlouhá leads CUSA in blocks and blocks-per-set.
Gabrielle Clinkscale had 14 kills on the night. Marianne Garcia once again led MTSU in digs, picking up 16.
The Flames came out of the gate hot, winning the first set 25-18.
Middle Tennessee previously won all 12 first sets this season before dropping the first to Liberty Friday. With the streak gone, the Blue Raiders bounced back, winning the second set 25-14.
A Clinkscale kill assisted by Addison Burks and an attacking error tied the match at 1-1.
Liberty got out to a 15-5 lead in the third set before a Blue Raider 16-6 rally cut the score to 22-21. However, the Flames got on a run of their own, scoring the next four points to win the set 25-21 and go up 2-1 in the match.
With its back against the wall, Middle Tennessee forced a fifth set with a tight 25-22 set four win. A service error gave MTSU the decisive point.
After an 8-8 deadlock in the fifth set, the Blue Raiders began to pull away. A 6-4 run to match point saw Liberty cut the deficit down to 14-13 before Henry picked up the decisive point, celebrating as she was mobbed by a sea of teammates.
Notes
--MTSU improves to 6-3 all-time versus Liberty.
--The Blue Raiders now sit at 2-2 on the road in 2026.
--Middle Tennessee has won six consecutive matches, adding onto the highest mark in the Alexa Keckler era.
--In matches which go five sets, MTSU is now 2-1 in 2026.
--Henry has had 20-plus kills in two of her last three matches.
--Keckler now holds a winning record in her tenure at MTSU, sitting at 21-20 (.512)
Up Next
Middle Tennessee closes its opening CUSA weekend at Liberty. First serve is set for 12 p.m. CST. The match can be viewed on ESPN+ with live stats via StatBroadcast.
Follow The Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with Blue Raider Volleyball on Instagram (@mt_volleyball), X (@MT_Volleyball), and Facebook (Middle Tennessee Volleyball).
MTSU (10-3, 1-0 Conference USA) is off to its best start since 2022, a year which also saw the Blue Raiders start 10-3.
"It was a really well played match by both teams," head coach Alexa Keckler said. "We did a good job adjusting as the match went on.
"There was certainly excitement around the first road win."
Liberty (8-5, 0-1) broke a streak of four-consecutive wins in the loss.
Sophia Henry led the Blue Raiders, picking up her second double-double of the season with a 20-kill, 10-dig performance.
"You want a kid saying 'give it to me, I'll carry it,'" Keckler said of Henry. "It's cool to see her want it, but then also be able to handle that pressure."
Michaela Dlouhá also had a double-double on the night, collecting 13 kills and 10 blocks.
Dlouhá leads CUSA in blocks and blocks-per-set.
Gabrielle Clinkscale had 14 kills on the night. Marianne Garcia once again led MTSU in digs, picking up 16.
The Flames came out of the gate hot, winning the first set 25-18.
Middle Tennessee previously won all 12 first sets this season before dropping the first to Liberty Friday. With the streak gone, the Blue Raiders bounced back, winning the second set 25-14.
A Clinkscale kill assisted by Addison Burks and an attacking error tied the match at 1-1.
Liberty got out to a 15-5 lead in the third set before a Blue Raider 16-6 rally cut the score to 22-21. However, the Flames got on a run of their own, scoring the next four points to win the set 25-21 and go up 2-1 in the match.
With its back against the wall, Middle Tennessee forced a fifth set with a tight 25-22 set four win. A service error gave MTSU the decisive point.
After an 8-8 deadlock in the fifth set, the Blue Raiders began to pull away. A 6-4 run to match point saw Liberty cut the deficit down to 14-13 before Henry picked up the decisive point, celebrating as she was mobbed by a sea of teammates.
Notes
--MTSU improves to 6-3 all-time versus Liberty.
--The Blue Raiders now sit at 2-2 on the road in 2026.
--Middle Tennessee has won six consecutive matches, adding onto the highest mark in the Alexa Keckler era.
--In matches which go five sets, MTSU is now 2-1 in 2026.
--Henry has had 20-plus kills in two of her last three matches.
--Keckler now holds a winning record in her tenure at MTSU, sitting at 21-20 (.512)
Up Next
Middle Tennessee closes its opening CUSA weekend at Liberty. First serve is set for 12 p.m. CST. The match can be viewed on ESPN+ with live stats via StatBroadcast.
Follow The Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with Blue Raider Volleyball on Instagram (@mt_volleyball), X (@MT_Volleyball), and Facebook (Middle Tennessee Volleyball).
Players Mentioned
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballTeam Stats
MTSU
Lib
Kills
64
66
Errors
21
21
Attempts
169
166
Hitting %
.254
.271
Points
84.0
78.0
Assists
57
64
Aces
8
6
Blocks
12
6
Game Leaders
Kills
20
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
13
Aces
2
Blocks
10
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
4
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