Mississippi State
LSU
Dogs Bow In Straight Sets To SEC West-Leading LSU
October 04, 2009 | Volleyball
- Official Statistics
- Official Statistics (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Four-time defending SEC Western Division champion LSU played like it was determined to make it five in a row Sunday afternoon at the Newell-Grissom Building. The Tigers (11-4, 5-1 SEC) completed a sweep of its current four-match SEC road trip, blanking Mississippi State (4-13, 0-6 SEC) and solidifying its perch atop the SEC Western Division standings. The Bulldogs bowed to the Tigers in straight sets, 25-14, 25-14, 25-13.
The match was part of the Dig Pink breast cancer awareness/fund-raising campaign, with both teams adding pink tot heir uniforms for the match.
The highly-efficient LSU attack proved too much to handle for the Bulldogs. The Tigers hit at a .391 clip, doubling MSU in kills 42-21 while committing but six attack errors. Senior outside hitter Marina Skender delivered a match-high 13 kills with one error in 25 attack attempts. Brittnee Cooper finished with nine kills, one error on a .615 hitting performance and five total blocks as LSU claimed a 9-2 dominance in total team blocking.
Junior middle blocker Ashley Newsome finished with six kills and two blocks to lead the Bulldogs, whose most competitive set with the second set.
A service ace by Faith Steinwedell to open the match gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 led. But it would be the only advantage in the first stanza for State. LSU reeled off the next four points and, thanks to nine Bulldog attack errors, were never threatened in taking the opening set 25-14.
Mississippi State took command early in the second set. A kill by Chanelle Baker and a pair of LSU miscues spotted State a 3-0 edge. Michele Williams then delivered three consecutive aces to give LSU an 11-9 edge, and an 8-0 Tiger spree powered by a trio of Brittnee Cooper kills enabled LSU to cruise to another 25-14 win.
State stayed close to the Tigers until the middle of set three. Chanelle Baker delivered a kill that knotted the score at 11-11. But the Tigers, riding a seven-kill display in the set by Skender, roared back to out-point the Bulldogs 14-2 down the stretch for a match-clinching 25-13 decision.
The Tigers held State to a season-low 21 kills and a .000 attack percentage and edged MSU 42-38 in digs. State junior libero Kayla Wooard claimed match honors with 17 scoops.
State resumes SEC road competition this weekend when the Bulldogs take on instate SEC rival Ole Miss Friday at 7 p.m. in Oxford, Miss., and Arkansas in a 1:30 p.m. match Sunday in Fayetteville.
