MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee volleyball returned to their winning ways in a thriller against LA Tech, extending their home win streak to six. While the match initially seemed destined for a back-and-forth battle, the Blue Raiders gained momentum, dominating the final two sets. The scores of the sets were as follows: 25-21, 20-25, 25-15 and 25-15.
The Blue Raiders (10-13, 6-5) recorded their second highest block total of the season, and the highest since Sept. 8 with 12. Kiera Booth led the squad with seven. Middle Tennessee volleyball posted an impressive .293 hitting percentage outhitting the Bulldogs (6-18, 0-11) by .174. The Blue Raiders hold an 8-2 record when outhitting their opponents, compared to a 2-11 record when being outhit. Nine of MTSU’s 10 victories have come when hitting above .250.
Junior Adriana Rhoda dominated offensively recording 21 kills on a .372 hitting percentage. The outside hitter is now at 999 kills during her terrific collegiate career, thus far. Middle blocker Kiera Booth followed closely behind Rhoda with 15 kills on a remarkable .500 hitting percentage. Booth’s presence was felt both offensively and defensively as she recorded a season-high seven blocks. Senior libero Laure Jansen expanded upon her conference lead in digs, recording a terrific 22 on the night to bring her season total to 401.
Setter Andi Spies set a new CUSA high with 55 assists, narrowly beating out Callie Bauer of WKU and Savannah Cook of FIU’s 54 assists they set earlier in the season. When asked about her outstanding performance tonight, Spies said the following: “I couldn’t have done it without the help of my teammates, who, at the end of the day, are the ones getting the kills. It’s a really cool accomplishment, and I look forward to trying beat it.”
By the Numbers
- 999: Junior Adriana Rhoda is now just one kill away from the historic 1,000 kill milestone with 999.
- 55: Andi Spies set a new Conference USA high in assists with 55.
- 12: The Blue Raiders 12 blocks as a team is the highest they have recorded since early September.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders will look to extend their home winning streak to seven in a rematch against LA Tech at noon tomorrow. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats can be found at statbroadcast.com.
Keeping Up with the Blue Raiders
Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter/X (@MT_Volleyball), Instagram (@mt_volleyball), and Facebook (Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Volleyball).
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