MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Hunter Coppola and Amanda Ifeanyi each had 11 kills and hit over .500 while Alicia Coppedge had six total blocks as UTSA downed MTSU 3-1 on the road on Friday night.
UTSA (7-9, 2-2) picked up its second Conference USA victory of the season as it beat Middle Tennessee (12-6, 1-3) in four sets. Middle Tennessee has now lost four of its last six while UTSA has won three of its last five.
Outside of Coppola and Ifeanyi, Courtney Walters regained her early-season form with a great offensive performance. The senior setter tallied 37 assists, her most since September 16, as she was a big part of the UTSA offense. Coppola also notched 11 digs on the night, giving the senior a double-double.
First Set (UTSA: 25-23: MTSU)
UTSA and MTSU went back and forth early before UTSA built a six-point lead, 17-11. The Blue Raiders rallied back within one to put the set at 21-20. The Roadrunners were able to settle in though and outscored MTSU 4-3 to take the first set. Kelsey Carpenter, Ifeanyi and Katelyn Krienke all had three kills and Walters had 10 assists to pace the Roadrunners to a first-set victory.
Second Set (MTSU: 25-14: UTSA)
Middle Tennessee came out strong in the second set and didn't look back as the Blue Raiders controlled the set throughout, winning by 11. The Roadrunners were held to nine kills and hit -.029 in the set, a team low on the night. Coppola and Walters were bright spots in the set as Coppola tallied three kills and Walters added eight assists to her total.
Third Set (UTSA: 25-12: MTSU)
The Roadrunners returned the favor in the third set, thoroughly dismantling the Blue Raiders and winning by 13. The Blue Raiders had 11 errors in the set, helping pave the way to a UTSA victory. Coppola continued her second-set momentum, notching four more kills while Cansu Günaydin had three kills of her own as the two led UTSA to a third-set victory.
Fourth Set (UTSA: 25-23: MTSU)
UTSA was able to finish the job in the fourth set, but it didn't come easy for the Roadrunners. Middle Tennessee held the lead and momentum for most of the set, even claiming an 18-13 lead. UTSA though dug deep and rallied, overcoming the five-point deficit, and eventually claiming the fourth-set victory. Ifeanyi had five kills while Coppola had another four-kill set as UTSA staged its comeback to win the set and match.
Up Next
UTSA will be back in action on Sunday, Oct. 9, as it travels to Bowling Green, Ky. for a meeting with the 25th-ranked Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Sunday's match is set to begin at noon and will be streamed on the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network on Facebook.
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