Mississippi State
Nicholls State
State Blanks Nicholls State In Memphis Invite Opener; Seals Gets Win No. 50
September 07, 2007 | Volleyball
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Mississippi State (4-3) hit at a season-best .318 clip and senior Jamie Joyner delivered 15 kills Friday afternoon to lead the Bulldogs to a quick 3-0 win over Nicholls State (2-7) at the University of Memphis Invitational. State topped Nicholls State 30-21, 30-23 and 30-19, trailing just twice in the match that last an hour and 19 minutes.
The win was the 50th at Mississippi State for fourth-year MSU head volleyball coach Tina Seals.
State never trailed in cruising to a 30-21 win in the opening set. Joyner collected six of her match-high 15 kills. The Bulldogs hit .300 in game one and took command of early, sprinting to an 11-4.
Nicholls State hung close in the second stanza and took their first lead of the match at 18-17 on a kill by Kindra Halverson. Joyner delivered a kill that put the Bulldogs on top at 22-21 as State out-pointed NSU 8-2 down the stretch for a 30-23 win and a 2-0 match lead at the break.
The Bulldogs wasted little time in taking command of the match-deciding third game. The second kill of the set by freshman Meaghan Schlueter gave State a 9-1 edge and State posted a .379 hitting percentage in nailing down the match win. Schlueter finished with a season-best five kills and freshman Miranda Bauman, in her MSU debut, recorded State's final three kills of State's 30-19 win in game three.
Cristina Jucan had six kills, Eva Kriegel, Lauren Kowal and Schlueter five each, Ioana Demian four and Ashley Newsome and Bauman three apiece.
Newsome paced State at the net with three blocks while freshman walk-on Kayla Woodard, making her third start of the season, tallied a team-leading eight digs.
Senior middle Erin Seago, still slowed by a foot injury, missed her first start of the season.
The Bulldogs conclude play in the Memphis Invitational Saturday, testing Austin Peay at 11:30 a.m. before facing host Memphis at 7 p.m.
