Friday, September 6
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
11:00 AM
Lehigh University
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Middle Tennessee State
0-3,0-0CUSA
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Lehigh
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Middle Tenn.
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Photo by: Emily Cole
Schulte Hits 1,000 Kills, Lehigh Sweeps Doubleheader
9/6/2024 9:21:00 PM | Volleyball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – After a 2-1 weekend at the Towson/Morgan State tournament, Lehigh volleyball hit the road once again to begin play at the Blue Raider Bash hosted by Middle Tennessee State University. The Mountain Hawks matched up with MTSU and Arkansas State on Friday, defeating the Blue Raiders in five sets and the Red Wolves in four.
Lehigh (4-1) and MTSU (0-3) began the match with a closely-contested set one. The two sides traded points until a 5-0 run from the Mountain Hawks allowed them to take a 17-11 lead. The Blue Raiders eventually stormed back to tie the match at 20 apiece, however, two MTSU service errors allowed Lehigh to win 25-23. The Mountain Hawks controlled the second set after another close start, winning 25-19 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
With their backs against the wall, the Blue Raiders came to fight in set three. After a back-and-forth start to the set, MTSU broke open a five-point lead to go ahead 18-13. This did not deter the Mountain Hawks, who climbed back to tie the match at 22. Despite their efforts, MTSU held on to win set three 25-23. The Blue Raiders then rode this momentum to take a 25-17 win in set four, forcing a fifth and final set.
The Mountain Hawks and Blue Raiders continued to go back-and-forth into the fifth, with neither side able to gain a large lead through the first seven points on each side. Lehigh finally broke through with a 3-0 run to lead 9-7, a lead they would never relinquish on route to a 15-11 fifth set victory.
"I am so proud of this group for showing such steadiness in the fourth and fifth sets," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "We were able to rely on several key players."
Senior Megan Schulte led the charge for the Mountain Hawks with 14 kills, surpassing 1,000 career kills in the process. Junior Natalie Luscomb joined her with 14 kills while sophomore Jaidyn Garcia added 11 kills and four total blocks. Senior Makena Smith dished out a team-high 25 assists while first-year Sophia Bond led Lehigh with 21 digs in her first-career start.
"Megan is a warrior," said Keckler. "She works her tail off day in and day out and is bought into our culture and the team's success. She is very deserving of this milestone and I am so happy for her."
Lehigh next faced off against an Arkansas State (3-1) team that entered the day with no losses and a win over SEC side Ole Miss on their resume. The Red Wolves and Mountain Hawks looked to be evenly matched in the first set, with both teams enjoying multiple unanswered scoring runs. The two teams battled until the score was tied 23-23, with two attacking errors from Arkansas State allowing Lehigh to claim the first set.
After dropping the first set, the Red Wolves responded adequately with a 25-21 win in set two to even the score. With the match tied, Lehigh raced ahead to a big lead in the third, leading 19-12. However, Arkansas State stormed back to cut the Lehigh lead to two. Despite the Red Wolves' efforts, the Mountain Hawks concluded the set on a 4-1 run to go ahead 2-1 in the match. In set number four, Arkansas State controlled the lead for the majority of the frame. Needing two points to extend the match to a fifth set, Lehigh uncorked a 5-0 run to win 25-23 and clinch their second win of the day.
Sophomore Alysia Fingall led the Mountain Hawks with 12 kills while nearly notching a double-double with nine total blocks. Sophomore Abby Felkai added a team-high 16 assists while first-year Sophia Bond's 16 digs paced the Mountain Hawks.
"The Arkansas State win was an exciting victory," said Keckler. "They are a physical team with outstanding passing. We had so many contributors in this match, and that made a huge difference."
The Mountain Hawks will conclude play at the Blue Raider Bash tomorrow at 3 p.m. against Southeast Missouri State.
"Tomorrow will be another battle," said Keckler. "We will have to work to stay physical at the net and win the serve and pass game."
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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Lehigh (4-1) and MTSU (0-3) began the match with a closely-contested set one. The two sides traded points until a 5-0 run from the Mountain Hawks allowed them to take a 17-11 lead. The Blue Raiders eventually stormed back to tie the match at 20 apiece, however, two MTSU service errors allowed Lehigh to win 25-23. The Mountain Hawks controlled the second set after another close start, winning 25-19 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
With their backs against the wall, the Blue Raiders came to fight in set three. After a back-and-forth start to the set, MTSU broke open a five-point lead to go ahead 18-13. This did not deter the Mountain Hawks, who climbed back to tie the match at 22. Despite their efforts, MTSU held on to win set three 25-23. The Blue Raiders then rode this momentum to take a 25-17 win in set four, forcing a fifth and final set.
The Mountain Hawks and Blue Raiders continued to go back-and-forth into the fifth, with neither side able to gain a large lead through the first seven points on each side. Lehigh finally broke through with a 3-0 run to lead 9-7, a lead they would never relinquish on route to a 15-11 fifth set victory.
"I am so proud of this group for showing such steadiness in the fourth and fifth sets," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "We were able to rely on several key players."
Senior Megan Schulte led the charge for the Mountain Hawks with 14 kills, surpassing 1,000 career kills in the process. Junior Natalie Luscomb joined her with 14 kills while sophomore Jaidyn Garcia added 11 kills and four total blocks. Senior Makena Smith dished out a team-high 25 assists while first-year Sophia Bond led Lehigh with 21 digs in her first-career start.
"Megan is a warrior," said Keckler. "She works her tail off day in and day out and is bought into our culture and the team's success. She is very deserving of this milestone and I am so happy for her."
Lehigh next faced off against an Arkansas State (3-1) team that entered the day with no losses and a win over SEC side Ole Miss on their resume. The Red Wolves and Mountain Hawks looked to be evenly matched in the first set, with both teams enjoying multiple unanswered scoring runs. The two teams battled until the score was tied 23-23, with two attacking errors from Arkansas State allowing Lehigh to claim the first set.
After dropping the first set, the Red Wolves responded adequately with a 25-21 win in set two to even the score. With the match tied, Lehigh raced ahead to a big lead in the third, leading 19-12. However, Arkansas State stormed back to cut the Lehigh lead to two. Despite the Red Wolves' efforts, the Mountain Hawks concluded the set on a 4-1 run to go ahead 2-1 in the match. In set number four, Arkansas State controlled the lead for the majority of the frame. Needing two points to extend the match to a fifth set, Lehigh uncorked a 5-0 run to win 25-23 and clinch their second win of the day.
Sophomore Alysia Fingall led the Mountain Hawks with 12 kills while nearly notching a double-double with nine total blocks. Sophomore Abby Felkai added a team-high 16 assists while first-year Sophia Bond's 16 digs paced the Mountain Hawks.
"The Arkansas State win was an exciting victory," said Keckler. "They are a physical team with outstanding passing. We had so many contributors in this match, and that made a huge difference."
The Mountain Hawks will conclude play at the Blue Raider Bash tomorrow at 3 p.m. against Southeast Missouri State.
"Tomorrow will be another battle," said Keckler. "We will have to work to stay physical at the net and win the serve and pass game."
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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Team Stats
Lehigh
MTSU
Kills
58
64
Errors
22
19
Attempts
155
155
Hitting %
.232
.290
Points
76.0
78.0
Assists
50
57
Aces
10
7
Blocks
8
7
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
14
Aces
4
Blocks
1
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
7
Aces
2
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
DS/L
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballRS
/ VolleyballRS
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
S
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