MSU Volleyball tops Winthrop – Photo by MSU Athletics
MOREHEAD, Ky. — Freshmen Lauren Rokey, Olivia Lohmeier and Liz Allen teamed up for 36 kills, and the Morehead State volleyball team improved to 2-1 in 2017 with a 3-2 victory over the Winthrop Eagles Saturday at Wetherby Gym. MSU claimed the match by winning 17-25, 25-23, 25-19, 19-25 and 15-6.
Sophomore right-side hitter/setter Jordan Jones also added nine kills, and freshman setter Chandler Clark piled up a career-best 52 assists as both were named to the Eagle Challenge All-Tournament Team.
“It was great to see Chandler and Jordan have consistent weekends,” said head coach Jaime Gordon. “Today we had good matchups with our middles and right sides, and Chandler really stepped up and ran our offense through them. It is tough to come in as a freshman and run the offense, but we have confidence in her.”
Allen, an outside hitter, had 12 kills and completed her first career double-double with a team-best 18 digs. Rokey, also an outside attacker, smacked in 12 kills and hit .291, and Lohmeier drilled 12 winners and slapped back four blocks in four sets.
“Olivia gave us a great spark, and Lauren Rokey was the same,” Gordon said. “She came in off the bench and provided us with a spark too. Liz Allen had a really solid weekend all around.”
Sophomore middle Karlee Reynolds also shined with nine kills on 20 swings with just one error. On the back row, sophomore Danielle McCarson and freshman Taylor Hodges combined for 25 digs as the host Eagles edged the visiting Eagles 65-62 in the dig category.
After hitting pedestrian numbers in the first two sets (.179 and .146), Morehead State had 34 kills and just nine attack errors in the final three sets. In the third frame, the hosts landed 16 kills and hit .394 and really took charge in the fifth. MSU slammed in seven kills as part of its 15 points and hit .538 with zero errors.
Morehead State held an 11-9 cushion in the third frame before pulling ahead 18-11. Winthrop cut it to 18-14, but three straight kills by Rokey ignited a 5-0 run to put the set out of reach.
The fifth set also turned when Rokey got going. Leading 4-3, she smacked three of the next four points on kills and helped her team push ahead 8-3.
Sydney Gunter led the Winthrop squad with 17 kills, while Carli Skelton came up with a match-best 20 digs.
Morehead State stays at home for a mid-week matchup with regional rival Marshall on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.
