Murfreesboro, TN – (Contributed) – September 8, 2024 –  Arkansas State volleyball improved to 5-1 for the third year in a row on Sunday at the Blue Raider Bash, sweeping host Middle Tennessee 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-23) inside Alumni Memorial Gym.

The Red Wolves (5-1) served seven aces and out-dug the Blue Raiders (2-4) 48-43. MTSU hit .204 to A-State’s .168, but the Scarlet and Black took advantage of 11 service errors by the hosts.

Kaitlin Whitlock concluded her strong weekend with a match-high 12 kills on 33 swings (.212) while Grace Wiley recorded a career-best 10 kills (.240). Both players added a pair of blocks. Erin Madigan led in assists (24) and corralled 10 digs for her second straight double-double.

Defensively, Sarah Martinez collected 20-plus digs for the fourth match in a row with 21, while serving three of A-State’s seven aces. The Red Wolves knocked down eight blocks, led by Haley Glunz’s four denials.

A-State used a 5-0 run capped by a Whitlock kill to take an insurmountable lead in the first set and expanded that lead to as much as seven before the Blue Raiders scored five straight to pull within 23-21. After an MTSU attack error, Martinez fired an ace to clinch the 25-21 opening-set victory.

The Red Wolves scored the first two points of the second set and never trailed by more than one in the frame. Both sides remained within three points of one another, and the Blue Raiders got a kill by Springer to side out and lead 23-22. However, Whitlock took control and clinched the 25-23 set win with three consecutive kills.

In the third set, it was the hosts who secured early momentum to the tune of a six-point lead after an ace by Laure Jansen made it 14-8. The Red Wolves rallied to within three (18-15) when Valeria Ortiz (13 assists) found Devyn Lewis for a kill, forcing an MTSU timeout. After the Blue Raiders won the race to 20 points, A-State reclaimed momentum to take seven of the next eight points and lead 22-21 on a block by Glunz and Wiley. Middle Tennessee answered to lead 23-22, but Wiley and Whitlock sandwiched a block by Daedrianna Cail (3 blocks) and Wiley to make up the match-clinching 3-0 run. 

NEXT UP

Arkansas State continues its nine-match road swing Friday, traveling to Florence, Ala., for the UNA Volleyball Classic. Friday features a doubleheader against host North Alabama (10 a.m.) and Jacksonville State (4 p.m.) ahead of a Saturday weekend finale versus UAB (Noon). Friday’s match against UNA will be shown on ESPN Plus.