Mississippi State
6-17, 1-7SEC
Missouri
13-9, 4-3SEC
Bulldogs? Rally Falls Short In Five-Set Heartbreaker To Missouri
October 19, 2014 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Once again showing heart and determination, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-17, 1-7 SEC) rallied, but fell just short of victory, falling in a 3-2 decision to the Missouri Tigers (13-9, 4-3 SEC) on Sunday afternoon at Newell-Grissom.
Mirroring Friday's victory against Tennessee, Sunday afternoon's contest between Mississippi State and Missouri came down to a winner-take-all fifth set. Down 2-1 in the match, the Bulldogs rallied back to tie the match and force the fifth frame. State held an advantage late, but fell victim to a Mizzou rally that sealed the victory for the visitors.
"I am really proud of where our team is right now,” MSU coach Jenny Hazelwood said. “They have really trusted the process and have continued to work hard through so much adversity."
The Bulldogs opened the match with a solid first set, taking the opening frame 25-23. The win was the first set taken by MSU against Missouri in the six meetings between the two squads. Chelsea Duhs, Leticia Valente and Alex Warren were the catalysts for the MSU attack in the first set, with a Kelsey Stommes kill sealing it for the Bulldogs.
The Tigers would roar back the next two frames. MU jumped ahead early and never let off the gas in the second set, using a series of lengthy runs to tie the match at 1-1 with a 25-12 set win. The third set was much the same, as a 9-0 run midway through propelled Missouri to a 25-13 win, putting it one set away from victory.
However, with their backs against the wall, the Bulldogs fought back in the fourth frame to keep the match alive. Sparked by four kills and a pair of blocks from Warren, along with multiple blocks from Valente and Bali Leffall-Young, the Bulldogs mounted a rally to put themselves back into play. With both sides trading blows throughout the fourth frame, MSU put together a 4-0 run late to create some distance from the Tigers, up 22-18. MU would pull within two to force a Bulldog timeout, but that would be it, as State would go on to take the set, 25-22 and force fifth frame.
In true fifth-set fashion, it was a fight to the finish. Both sides traded time in the lead before Duhs went back-to-back with a kill and an ace to put the Bulldogs up 11-8 and force an MU timeout. MSU would force another Tiger timeout, up 12-10, but would go no further. A 5-0 run to close the match sealed it for the Tigers, giving them the final frame, 15-12, and the match, 3-2.
Despite the loss, Hazelwood was more than proud of the Bulldogs and saw a lot of positives from her young squad on Sunday.
"When our passing is good, we can do so many things well,” Hazelwood said. “Our offensive and defensive systems are really coming together and with continued hard work, the wins will come."
Leading the way for the Bulldogs was the attacking duo of Warren (13 kills) and Duhs (11 kills). Assisting on the MSU attack was setter Shelby Anderton, who earned a second-straight double-double with 34 assists and 14 digs. Pacing the defensive efforts of the Bulldogs was Payton Harris, who turned in her 16th match of 20-plus digs with 25 on the day. She now stands five away from tying second place in the MSU record book for digs in a season (558 - Roxanne McVey, 2012).
Adding to her already impressive weekend was Leffall-Young, who turned in seven blocks and five kills. Valente, who tallied eight kills, also earned seven blocks, setting a new career high.
Standing out for the Tigers was Regan Peltier, who had 22 kills against the Bulldogs. Loxley Keala turned in 35 assists, while Sarah Meister tallied 26 digs.
MSU returns to action next weekend, as it hits the road for a pair of east-coast matchups. State will travel to Columbia, S.C., on Friday, Oct. 24, to face the South Carolina Gamecocks at 6 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs will then close out the weekend at No. 9 Florida on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 12:30 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast on SEC Network +.
For more information and updates on Mississippi State volleyball, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at HailStateVB.
