MURFRSSEBORO, Tenn. - Junior Ashley Asberry posted a career double-double on Friday night as she helped lead the Blue Raiders to a 3-1 (30-24, 30-19, 20-30, 30-25) win over UAB.
Asberry knocked down a career high 17 kills and 13 block assists which was also a career high for the Murfreesboro, Tenn., native. She along with junior Ashley Adams scored 23.5 points in the match. Asberry posted a team high hitting percentage of .481 in the match. "Ashley Asberry and Ashley Adams brought it tonight. Ashley Asberry with two career highs was amazing. The coach from UAB said I have never had a player do that to us meaning offensively and defensively," head coach Matt Peck.
Currently 12th in the RPI , Middle Tennessee improves to 33-2 on the season while UAB falls to 24-10 and will wait for Sunday's NCAA Tournament Selection show to see if it will receive an at-large bid to the tournament.
Adams ended the night with 18 kills for a .366 hitting percentage. Adams also had five block assists, three digs and two service aces.
Senior Alicia Lemau'u also added assistance on defense with 17 digs followed by freshman Izabela Kozon with 13.
The Blue Raiders won the first two games with the Blazers easily but came out of the locker room sluggish after the intermission. Middle Tennessee trailed by as much as six in game three with a late comeback falling short as it dropped the match 30-20.
Middle Tennessee rebounded in game four winning the game 30-25 after trading points back and forth with UAB to clinch the match.
"We played well in the first two games and easily controlled the match. Then went into the locker room at intermission and came back kind of asleep. I could see it and we needed this match. I scheduled this match for a reason. I wanted a team that would challenge us and they were playing to get into the NCAA Tournament. They knew if they come here and beat us they would get an at-large bid right away," Peck said.
As a team, the Blue Raiders knocked down 57 kills for a .275 hitting percentage while UAB had four players hit double figures but only had a .161 hitting percentage.
Middle Tennessee also had 20.5 blocks in the match with 35 block assists and three solo blocks.
This concludes the regular season for Middle Tennessee. Toot's will host Middle Tennessee beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday Nov. 25 as it watches the selection show on ESPNU to see if it will host the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
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