Mississippi State
Murray State
Volleyball Bulldogs Win Openers In Microtel Classic; Meet Clemson Sunday In Title Match
August 25, 2007 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's Volleyball Bulldogs successfully opened MSU's 2007-08 athletic year Saturday afternoon, knocking off Murray State and Arkansas-Little Rock to advance to a Sunday afternoon championship match in the MSU-Microtel Classic. The Bulldogs (2-0) take on the Clemson Tigers (2-0) in the 1:30 p.m. title match at the Newell-Grissom Building.
State blanked Murray State 3-0 (30-27, 30-25, 33-31) in Saturday morning's session-opener and with more than 300 fans looking scrambled past Arkansas-Little Rock 3-1 (30-21, 30-26, 27-30, 31-29) to remain unbeaten. Clemson blanked both UALR (30-26, 30-20, 30-12) and Murray State (32-30, 30-20, 30-18).
"We had a great overall team effort today," said fourth-year MSU head volleyball coach Tina Seals. "We've been battling so many injuries in the preseason and it took a lot of different players stepping up and making things happen for us today. I am so proud of the fight and the heart that our players showed."
Junior Cristina Jucan tallied 15 kills and sophomore Ioana Demian added 10 Saturday morning to pace MSU to its 3-0 win over the Murray State Racers. Demian, who also contributed a match-high five assisted blocks, broke a 31-31 deadlock in game three with her 10th kill of the match while Jucan nailed down the win with a service ace.
The match marked the starting debuts of a pair of Bulldogs. True freshman middle/outside hitter Ashley Newsome, starting in place of injured senior middle blocker Lauren Kowal, delivered nine kills and four total blocks. Sophomore Dorey Gray drew her first career start in place of injured senior setter and 2006 team MVP Eva Kriegel. Gray dished out 40 assists in her initial start at Mississippi State.
"I'm proud of the way they stepped up and performed as starters," said Seals. "Their play was critical for us and helped us win over fourth straight season-opening match."
The Bulldogs had to pull out some late-match heroics to fend off a determined Arkansas-Little Rock team in Saturday's session finale.
MSU breezed with relative ease to 30-21 and 30-26 wins in the opening two sets against the Trojans. State hit at a match-best .360 clip in the opening stanza and then scored five of the last six points in the second game to pull away form a tight contest and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Trojans trailed 17-11 in game three but managed to keep the match alive with a 30-27 win. That momentum carried over into the fourth set as UALR led by as many as seven (20-13) and held a 27-21 advantage that threatened to send the game to a deciding fifth set. But State stormed back, going on a 7-1 run and pulling even at 28-28 on a kill by Cristina Jucan. Eva Kriegel, who missed the day's opening match rehabbing an injured back, put State on top 30-29 with her 11th kill of the match and a hitting error by the Trojans on the next play lifted the Bulldogs to the win. Kriegel also delivered 38 assists and 10 digs for her ninth career "triple-double" and matched a career-high with five of MSU's 16 service aces. Kriegel hit at a .667 clip with but one hitting error in 15 attempts.
The offensive star of the match for the Bulldogs was senior opposite hitter Jamie Joyner, who piled up a career-high 21 kills on a .341 hitting night.
"Jamie has been such a steady performer throughout her career, and tonight she came through with one of those special performances that seemed to inspire the team," said Seals. "It's a great joy to coach team players like Jamie."
Seals also praised the play of outside hitters Jucan and Demian. After leading the Bulldogs in the opening match win over Murray State, the Romanian duo tallied 12 kills and six digs each in the nightcap. Senior middle Erin Seago, who had eight kills in the opener, added seven in the win over UALR.
"Our bunch showed a lot of heart in beating a very fine Arkansas-Little Rock team," said Seals. "Both teams refused to quite, and the competition created a match that our fans really got into."
On defense, senior libero Megan Lukasek paced State in both matches, registering 14 digs against Murray State and 16 against UALR.
A pair of freshman walk-on performers, Kaitlin Wheatley and Kayla Woodard, also made their collegiate debuts with playing time in Saturday's wins.
State closes out its opening weekend competition against Clemson Sunday at 1:30 p.m., and there is no charge for admission.
