EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.  -  SIUE volleyball emerged victorious in its first five-set match of the Spring 2021 season on Saturday night, taking a 3-2 decision over the visiting Murray State Racers.

The Racers took the first set, 25-18, before SIUE trampled Murray State in the second set, 25-9. The final three sets were won by a combined seven points, with the Racers securing the third set win (25-22) and the Cougars earning the match victory in sets four (25-23) and five (15-13). 

The well-rounded Cougar performance was highlighted by a 14-kill, six-block outing from Hope Everett and a double-double from Sarah Armendariz (48 assists, 12 digs). Also contributing to the SIUE effort were Annie Ellis, who notched 12 kills and six blocks, and Rachel McDonald, who recorded 10 kills and nine digs.

The Cougars will return to action tomorrow at 4 p.m., with a rematch against Murray State. Live stats can be found at SIUEStats.com, but no live stream will be available.