Volleyball Earns 3-0 Sweep at ULM

MONROE, La. - Freshmen Chelsea Ross and Shelby Anderton each had double-doubles Friday night as the Middle Tennessee volleyball team swept ULM 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-21) at the ULM Activity Center. The Blue Raiders defeated the Warhawks for the seventh straight meeting, all sweeps by Middle Tennessee.

Ross led all players with 13 kills, hitting .400 for the match. She also had a team-high 13 digs. Anderton dished out 28 assists and had a career-high 11 digs. Tyler Richardson and Brandi Waller each had a team-high six blocks with Rachel Shaughnessy adding five.

Middle Tennessee (5-15, 2-3 Sun Belt) took a 7-4 early in the opening set, getting two Anderton aces and a solo block by Shaughnessy. ULM (4-10, 0-5) tied set at 8-8 on a Samantha Morse solo block, then took the lead 9-8 on a kill by Zuzana Markova. The Blue Raiders came back to level the set 11-11 on a block by Anderton and Shaughnessy. With the set tied 13-13, Middle Tennessee went on a 4-1 run capped off by two Waller kills to take a 17-14 lead. The Warhawks battled back to even the set at 17-17 on another Markova kill, and the two teams traded points up to 22-22. Shaughnessy broke the tie with a kill, and Middle Tennessee won the next two points to win the set 25-22.

The Blue Raiders controlled the early part of the second set, taking a 9-5 lead on the strength of a three-point run that included two Waller kills and a block by Waller and Richardson. ULM battled back to get within one at 12-11, but a Katie Bange kill sparked a five-point Blue Raiders run that made the score 17-11. The Warhawks closed to within three at 17-14 on a block by Morse and Maria Garcia, but consecutive Bange kills put Middle Tennessee ahead 19-14. The Blue Raiders earned set point at 24-18 on a Bri McCombs ace, and won the set 25-19 on a Ross kill.

Middle Tennessee jumped out to a  7-3 lead in the third set, getting three blocks in the process. The advantage grew to five at 13-8 as Waller and Shaughnessy blocked an attack by Madison Martin. ULM got within two at 17-15, but kills by Ross and Shaughnessy got the Blue Raiders back up by four 20-16. Middle Tennessee was two points from the match at 23-17 when ULM won the next four points to make the score 23-21. The Blue Raiders finally put the Warhawks away with a 25-21 win in the set, as Katie Bange put down a kill to give Middle Tennessee the sweep.

The Blue Raiders hit .242 for the match, holding the Warhawks to a .147 hitting percentage. Middle Tennessee also held a 38-33 edge in digs and had 11.5 blocks.

The Blue Raiders are back in action on Sunday afternoon with a 1 p.m. match at North Texas.

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