Mississippi State
Alabama
Alabama Turns Back State In Five-Set Thriller
September 30, 2009 | Volleyball
- Official Statistics
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Bulldogs Faith Steinwedell and Kellye Jordan registered career highs for kills Wednesday night, but the Bulldogs fell short in a five-set thriller at division-leading Alabama. The Crimson Tide (6-9, 4-1 SEC) rallied to claim the fifth set, winning the match 16-25, 25-13, 25-21, 25-27, 15-12.
Steinwedell had 13 kills and 12 digs to notch her second career double-double while Jordan delivered 13 kills each and hit at a .417 clip to lead the Bulldogs. Ashley Newsome reached double figures with 12 kills while Ioana Demian had eight kills and a team-leading six blocks.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the opening set, hitting .429 and never trailing in rolling to a 25-16 win. Alabama rebounded impressively, pulling even with a 25-13 win in game two before the break and taking a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-21 decision in the third set.
State fought off a pair of match point serves at 24-22 and kept the match alive with a 27-25 win in game four. The Bulldogs made a strong bid for their first SEC win of the season, taking a 12-10 lead in the deciding fifth on a kill by Jordan. But Alabama reeled off five consecutive points to close out the match and end State's upset bid.
Alyssa Meuth and Ashley Frazier had 16 kills and Calli Johnson added 12 for Alabama.
The Tide built up a 69-55 edge in kills and led MSU 73-60 in digs, while the Bulldogs held a 9-6 advantage in team blocking.
The Bulldogs return to action Sunday, playing host to LSU (9-4, 3-1 SEC) in a 1:30 p.m. match at the Newell-Grissom Building.
