Blue Raiders take 3-0 win over SCSU

ARLINGTON, Texas - Middle Tennessee began the UT-Arlington Hilton Invitational with a 3-0 win over South Carolina State.

Sophomore Izabela Kozon led the Blue Raiders at the net with 12 kills for a .611 hitting percentage.

The No. 13 Blue Raiders improve to 7-0 on the season hitting .406 with 39 kills in the match.

Freshman Stacy Oladinni and junior Ashley Mead added six kills each with Mead hitting .556 in the match.

Defensively, junior Leslie Clark had a team high seven digs followed by junior Ashley Waugh with five.

Senior Ashley Asberry and Clark each had three block assists as the team notched seven total blocks.

Middle Tennessee began the first set with the Bulldogs by taking a 16-10 lead. The Blue Raiders extended the lead to nine, 21-12, behind an ace by Henderson and continued to pull ahead taking the 25-16 win.

In the second set, the Blue Raiders jumped out to a seven-point lead, 10-3. Middle Tennessee continued to pull ahead taking an 18-7 lead toward the end of the set. The Blue Raiders behind the serve of Waugh won their last four points to take a 25-11 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.

After two sets, Kozon had seven kills for a .800 hitting percentage followed by Oladinni who also had an .800 hitting percentage with four kills.

SCSU kept the third set close but Middle Tennessee pulled ahead taking a 12-8 lead. The Blue Raiders continued to perform well taking a six-point lead, 17-11. The Bulldogs staged a short-lived rally as Middle Tennessee held on for the 25-18 win.

The Blue Raiders will be back in action on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. when it faces tournament host UT-Arlington.

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