Kent State University
Murray State
Kent State Continues Non-Conference Play at Marshall Invite
9/8/2022 3:50:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Kent State volleyball team will be back on the road this weekend at the Marshall Invite in Huntington, West Virginia.
The Golden Flashes (4-2) will play just once on Friday for the second weekend in a row, taking on Murray State at 3 p.m. Kent State will play Charleston Southern at 10 a.m. Saturday and then host Marshall at 6 p.m. match that will be streamed on ESPN+.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, September 9
3 p.m. Kent State vs. Murray State
Saturday, September 10
10 a.m. Kent State vs. Charleston Southern
6 p.m. Kent State at Marshall
PREVIEWING THE FLASHES
Kent State (4-2) has held all six of its opponents below a .200 clip and leads the Mid-American Conference with a .149 opponent hitting percentage. The Golden Flashes rank third in digs per set (15.92) and are tied for fifth in blocks per set (2.00). Senior Gracey Jarecke is fifth in the MAC at 4.25 digs per set to anchor the back row, while fifth-year Lana Strejcek (1.00 bps), freshman Mia Soerensen (0.93 bps) and graduate student Danie Tyson (0.92 bps) all rank among the top-10 in blocking.
Graduate student Alex Haffner was named MAC East Division Setter of the Week on Monday after averaging 10.36 assists, 3.73 digs and 1.09 kills per set to go with a .440 hitting percentage to earn Kent State Invitational All-Tournament Team honors. Haffner tallied a season-high 19 digs in the weekend finale against Oakland, giving her 999 for her career. She ranks 12th in the NCAA in assists (247) and 44th in assists per set (10.29).
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Murray State
The Racers (2-3) earned a pair of wins against Southern Indiana on opening weekend before winning just three sets during a 0-3 trip to Liberty. Efficient offense has been hard to come by on either side of the net, as the Racers are hitting .152 as a team and limiting opponents to a .178 hitting percentage. Murray State has posted a clip above the .175 mark just once in five matches.
Outside hitter Federica Nuccio has posted at least 10 kills in every match and is averaging a team-best 3.29 kills per set. Outside hitter Jayla Holcome is close behind at 3.24 kills per set. Libero Dahlia Miller ranks second in the Missouri Valley Conference with 4.57 digs per set.
Charleston Southern
The Buccaneers swept host Mercer, 3-0, on Saturday to conclude a 2-1 weekend and move above .500 on the season.
Outside hitter Peyton Thompson, an All-Big South First Team performer in 2021, leads the way with 4.39 points and 3.74 kills per set. Outside hitter Skylar Yates adds 2.67 kills per set, and libero Angelika Rusin paces the Big South at 4.89 digs per set.
Marshall
The host Thundering Herd will host their second tournament of the season. After a 1-2 weekend to start the season, Marshall went 2-1 with a loss to MAC member Miami.
Outside hitter Regan Tinkle leads the attack with 2.77 kills per set. Tinkle is hitting .301 on the season and has been above .300 in four of six matches. Outside hitter Macy McElhaney adds 2.48 kills per set. Setter Brynn Brown is the national leader in triple-doubles with three and averages 7.04 assists, 3.00 digs and 2.12 kills per set. Libero Kaitlyn Gehler was named Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week for her performance at the Miami Invitational and leads the conference in digs per set (4.95).
UP NEXT
Kent State will bring non-conference action to a close against a pair of Northeast Ohio foes. The Golden Flashes will host Cleveland State on Thursday, Sept. 15 and travel to Youngstown State on Friday, Sept. 16. Both matches are scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE FLASHES
Be sure to follow Kent State Volleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the squad.
