Mississippi State
6-16, 1-6SEC
Tennessee
7-14, 0-7SEC
Bulldogs Fight Off Lady Vols For Thrilling Five-Set Victory
October 18, 2014 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Driven by tremendous heart, grit and determination, the Mississippi State volleyball Bulldogs (6-16, 1-6 SEC) fought off a furious rally from the Tennessee Lady Volunteers (7-14, 0-7 SEC) to wrap a five-set match in Maroon and White on Friday night.
The victorious night was highlighted not by individual performances, but a team-wide effort, as a plethora of Bulldogs earned impressive showings. A total of nine either tied or set season or career highs on the night.
"I am so proud of these girls on a complete team win,” MSU coach Jenny Hazelwood said. “I love seeing the fight in such a special group. They are such a blessing to coach."
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the match, looking for a straight-sets victory against the Lady Vols. The night's opening frame was close early on before a quick 3-0 MSU run forced a UT timeout with the Bulldogs leading, 11-7. Tennessee would pull within three before the Maroon and White struck a major blow with a 4-0 run to pull up by seven. From there, the Bulldogs pushed on to capture the first set, 25-18.
Tennessee once again kept it close as the second set unfolded. Tied at 11-11, State fired up a 5-0 run, highlighted by a kill from Shelby Anderton and an ace from Leticia Valente. UT would not be deterred by the Bulldogs' runs, grinding back into the match to tie it at 23-23. Both sides traded time in the lead before MSU reeled off three-straight points to capture the win, with a Tyra Long kill slamming the door shut on the Lady Vols.
Then, with the Bulldogs up 2-0 and looking to seal the win, the Lady Vols began their surge back into the match. Five-straight points midway through the set crippled MSU, as UT went up 12-6. State mounted a rally of its own, pulling within one, down 17-16, but Tennessee would not let the home squad come any closer. The Lady Vols used a series of runs to get on the board, taking the third set, 25-18.
MSU would look to avoid a fifth set in the match, but the Lady Vols once again used a series of runs, this time early in the frame, to create distance from the Bulldogs. Hazelwood's squad would pull within two, but UT kept the Maroon and White at bay, going on to take the fourth set, 25-19, and tie the match at 2-2.
The first-to-15, winner-take-all fifth set proved to be a nail-biter, as both teams traded blows throughout the entire frame. MSU would hold a lead of no more than three several times in the set. The Lady Vols forced a pair of MSU timeouts late in the frame, as Hazelwood made adjustments with UT rallying. Out of MSU's final timeout, Tennessee would tie it at 13-13, but would go no further. A kill from Chelsea Duhs and an attack error put the nail in the coffin, as State took the final set, 15-13, and the match, 3-2.
Sophomore Bali Leffall-Young put up undoubtedly the best performance of her career to date, earning a double-double with 11 kills and a career-high 12 total blocks, shattering her previous high of seven. The total also marks the most blocks in a match by an MSU player since Ashley Newsome earned 11 in 2008 at Jackson State.
As a team, State recorded 15-plus blocks in a match for the first time since last season at Georgia (15). The Bulldogs earned 16 total against the Lady Vols.
"Our block really stepped up big for us and Bali (Leffall-Young) was huge at the net,” Hazelwood said. “She is such a determined player, and she really fueled our team tonight."
Leading State in kills was the duo of Duhs and Alex Warren, as both earned 12. Duhs also tied a career high with five block assists. A key figure in the Bulldogs' offensive prowess was Anderton, who tallied a season-high 40 assists, while also setting season highs with 14 digs and six kills.
Defensively, MSU had a quartet of players with double-digit digs, led by freshman libero Payton Harris. Friday marked the 15th match of the season where Harris has earned a 20-plus dig performance, turning in 22 against UT. The total moves her up to third place in the MSU record book for digs in a season, as she has 528 on the year. She stands 30 behind second place and 104 out of first.
Along with Anderton's 14 digs, Cheyenne Spell (17) and Ellen Stuart (14) rounded out MSU's double-digit digs performers. Stuart's 14 marked a career high for the Bulldog junior.
Leading Tennessee was the duo of Kelsey Bawcombe and Jamie Lea, who both earned 17 kills on the night. With 17 digs as well, Bawcombe joined Taylor Johnson (34 assists, 11 digs) with double-doubles.
State will now turn its attention to the Missouri Tigers, who travel to Starkville for a Sunday afternoon showdown on Oct. 19. The battle between the Bulldogs and Tigers is set for a 1 p.m. CT, first serve, with the contest being broadcast on national television on the SEC Network. Nell Fortner and Paul Sunderland will have the call for the match.
For more information and updates on Mississippi State volleyball, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at HailStateVB.
