Local players help Racers defeat Redhawks

~ Murray State topped Southeast in four games in OVC play

The Murray State volleyball team brought a distinct local flavor to Houck Field House on Tuesday night.

MSU is coached by Southeast Missouri State graduate and former assistant David Schwepker. Three of his players attended local high schools.

Those Racers made a triumphant homecoming with a 19-25, 25-19, 25-18, 27-25 win over host Southeast.

"It's always great to come back here," said Schwepker, a 1987 Southeast graduate who was an assistant at his alma mater from 1992 through 1994.

Schwepker, MSU's all-time winningest volleyball coach, is in his 13th season with the Racers. He said he makes recruiting Southeast Missouri a priority.

"I do a lot of camps in this area so I get to see some of the kids," he said. "There are some really good athletes in this area."

Schwepker nabbed three of them in senior outside hitter Ashley Nenninger from Notre Dame, redshirt freshman outside hitter/middle blocker Wendi Zickfield from Central and redshirt freshman setter Casey Bucher from Leopold.

While Zickfield and Bucher are in the early stages of their college careers, Nenninger is wrapping up a stellar one.

Nenninger leads the Racers in kills, blocks and points. She ranks among the Ohio Valley Conference's top 10 in kills, hitting percentage and points.

Nenninger paced MSU in kills and points last year while ranking second in kills and first in blocks as a sophomore.

Nenninger, who was on the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll the past two years, said she couldn't have picked a better school.

"I think I made the best choice possible," said Nenninger said, who is majoring in animal health technology with a minor in biology.

Nenninger led the Racers with 18 kills during a four-game home win over Southeast on Oct. 15. She was looking forward to Tuesday's rematch.

"It's my favorite game every year because it's local. Everybody knows me," Nenninger said.

Nenninger got off to a slow start Tuesday but came on strong to finish with 12 kills, including consecutive kills on the final two points of Game 4 to close out the match.

"She was so nervous," Schwepker said.

Zickfield only played a few minutes Tuesday but made them count as she had two consecutive kills shortly after entering Game 3.

Zickfield has played in 18 of the Racers' 24 matches with 10 starts. She is seventh on the squad in kills and tied for fifth in blocks.

"She's going to be awesome," Schwepker said.

Said Zickfield: "I was glad to get in for a little bit. I like it [at MSU] a lot."

So does Bucher, who missed all of last season with an injury and still is rounding into form. She has played in nine matches, making two starts, but did not see action Tuesday.

"I love it [at MSU]," said Bucher, also on the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Said Schwepker: "It's just a matter of time for Casey."

Tuesday marked MSU's fourth win in five matches as the Racers improved to 11-13 overall and a fifth-place 7-6 in the 10-team OVC.

Southeast fell to 5-17 and 2-9. The Redhawks remained last in the OVC and have lost six straight and 11 of 12.

"We fought," Southeast coach Renata Heard said. "That's about all I can ask of my team right now."

Senior Emily Hughes led the Redhawks with 13 kills. Freshman Emily Coon had 10.

Freshman setter Julie Shives had a double-double with 44 assists and 19 digs. Senior Kelly Benacka added 16 digs.