HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Middle Tennessee volleyball team fell to No. 24 Rice in straight sets in the quarterfinal round of the Conference USA Tournament Thursday evening at USM Wellness Center (16-25, 24-26, 12-25).
 
Junior Emma Grever led the offensive attack for the Blue Raiders with 13 kills, her fifth 10-kill match of the season. Grever was followed by seven kills from Amelia Van Der Werff and six from Samira Lawson Body.
 
Freshman Taylor Eisert dished out 28 assists with four kills and two digs. Defensively, Marley Banton collected 13 digs with six assists and two aces. 
 
An ace by Marley Banton widened Middle Tennessee's lead to 6-4 in the first, then Rice responded with a 3-1 run to tie the set at seven. Down 13-12, a 6-2 run gave Rice a 19-14 advantage. The Owls closed the set on a 6-0 run to take the first set, 25-16.
 
The Blue Raiders opened the second set with a 4-1 lead. Down 8-5, Rice rattled off three-straight points to tie the set at eight. Throughout the set, both teams battled back and forth, not allowing each other to take advantage. With Middle Tennessee, ahead 21-19, Rice wrapped up the frame on a 7-3 run to win the set 26-24 and go up 2-0 in the match.
 
Rice would jump out to an 8-4 lead early in the third set. The Owls would later reel off six straight points to grow their lead to 16-7. Down 19-9, back-to-back kills by the Blue Raiders cut the deficit to eight, 19-11. That would be the closest Middle Tennessee would get as Rice used five straight points to wrap up the set and the match.
 
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