Volleyball falls in five set thriller

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Ashley Adams had another outstanding showing for the Middle Tennessee volleyball team, but the Blue Raiders ultimately fell to Tulsa in five sets on Saturday morning at Alumni Memorial Gym.

Adams continued her standout junior campaign with 17 kills and three block assists.

Two other Blue Raiders reached double figures in kills, led by Lindsay Cheatham's 11 with an impressive .474 attack percentage. Maria Szivos added 13 and hit at .375 rate.

As a team, the Blue Raiders (2-5) out-hit Tulsa .260 to .248.

On defense, the Blue and White had a standout day at the net, posting 12.0 blocks to Tulsa's 8.0. Oyinlola Oladinni led the effort with six block assists, and Cheatham added five.

Brynne Henderson tallied a match-high 16 digs, and Kendall Howard recorded a season high with 10.

Middle Tennessee came out strong in the first set, running away with a 25-16 victory and out-hitting the Hurricane .360 to .054 in the frame. Szivos led the Blue Raiders with four kills, and Brandi Waller chipped in another three.

With Middle Tennessee holding on to a slim margin at 6-5, a Tulsa service error followed by an Oladinni ace gave MT a little bit of breathing room, and the Blue and White wouldn't look back.

After Tulsa responded with a 25-16 win of their own in the second set, the Blue Raiders came out of the break strong, outlasting a late Hurricane comeback attempt to win 25-22.

Middle Tennessee never trailed in the frame and at one point held a 15-10 advantage, but Tulsa was able to pull within two on multiple occasions, including at 22-20. However, Adams, who registered seven kills in the set, was responsible for two of the final three points, sending the Blue Raiders into the fourth up 2-1.

Tulsa mounted a late rally in the fourth frame to force a fifth and deciding set. After finding themselves down 17-15, the Hurricane recorded five of the ensuing six points to grab a 20-18 lead and wouldn't look back.

Tulsa grabbed hold of the fifth set early, and would never trail.

Middle Tennessee will play their final match at the Middle Tennessee Invitational tonight at 5 p.m. against Cal Poly.

Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter @MTAthletics for continued updates.