Sept. 25, 2002
Murfreesboro, Tenn. - The Western Kentucky University volleyball team opened Sun Belt Conference play with a 3-1 win over Middle Tennessee Wednesday night. It was WKU's sixth win in its last seven matches and the seventh straight year it has opened conference play with a victory.
The Lady Raiders (9-5, 0-1 SBC East) jumped out to a 4-1 lead in game one before Western (15-4, 1-0 SBC East) posted four unanswered points to take a 5-4 lead on a kill from Cynda Derbort (Jr., Maroa, Ill.). Even though MTSU was able to tie the score twice, the Lady Toppers never gave up the lead, using a 4-0 spurt to extend the lead to 16-11 on an Amanda Cecil (So., Louisville, Ky.) kill. The Lady Raiders pulled within two points when a Western service error made it 22-20, but again WKU was able to expand on the lead, taking a 29-23 advantage on a block from Derbort and Cecil. Middle Tennessee staved off defeat with four straight points, but committed a service ace after a WKU timeout to give the Lady Toppers a 30-27 win in the opener.
WKU took a 2-1 lead to open game two, but MTSU used a 7-1 run to open up an 8-3 advantage. The Lady Toppers put together a 3-0 run of its own to get back within two when a Lady Raider attack error made it 8-6. However, Western was never able to get closer as Middle extended its lead to as much as ten points at 27-17. MTSU got to game point when a Western error made it 29-20, but the Lady Toppers scored three straight before the Lady Raiders evened the match with a 30-23 game-two victory.
Game three was tied 11 times, and neither team was able to take more than a two-point lead until MTSU scored three straight to take a 19-16 lead on a WKU attack error. However, the Lady Toppers battled back, evening the score at 21-21 and opened up a 24-21 lead thanks to back-to-back service aces by Amanda Schiff (So., Indianapolis, Ind.). The Lady Raiders were able to battle back within two points at 26-24, but WKU was able to hold on for a 30-26 win in the third game.
Middle raced out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth game, but again Western was able to battled back to take a 7-6 lead on a kill from Crystal Towler (Fr., Sussex, Wis.). The teams battled through eight ties and five lead changes before MTSU opened up a 17-14 lead. Again, Western hung tight and was able to regain the lead when back-to-back kills from Schiff put the Lady Toppers in front 25-24. Following a MTSU timeout, the Lady Raiders evened the score at 25-25, but Western scored four of the next five to get to match point when a Towler kill made it 29-26. Middle Tennessee refused to die, however, scoring the next two to make it 29-28. Following a timeout, Western got a kill from Cecil on the next play to take the game 30-28 and win the match 3-1.
Schiff led the Lady Toppers with 16 kills, while Cecil and Jessie Wagner (Fr., Franklin, Ind.) finished with 10 each. Cecil completed the double-double with 12 digs.
Western will return home Friday to open a three-match homestand against Sun Belt west foe Louisiana-Lafayette. Action begins at 7 p.m. (CDT) in the Preston Center.
-- WKU --
