Mississippi State
7-22, 2-12SEC
LSU
16-8, 11-4SEC
MSU Volleyball Downs LSU In Five-Set Thriller On Senior Day
November 17, 2014 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Receiving impressive efforts from across the board on Sunday afternoon, the Mississippi State volleyball Bulldogs (7-22, 2-12 SEC) downed the LSU Tigers (16-8, 11-4 SEC) in a thrilling five-set affair on Senior Day at the Newell-Grissom Building.
Prior to Sunday's match, MSU honored its two seniors for the 2014 season, Kelsey Stommes and manager Anna Florence. State's win was the first on Senior Day since defeating Alabama in the 2011 home finale.
The win snaps the Tigers' 11-match winning streak, while also snapping a 15-match losing streak to the visitors from Baton Rouge. MSU earned its first win against LSU since Nov. 6, 2005, when the Maroon and White downed the Tigers 3-1 in Starkville.
“Going into this match, it was our determination to play while having fun and being relaxed,” MSU head coach Jenny Hazelwood said. “Our girls kept their composure throughout the entire match, even when LSU fought back. We were getting production from every single player and I am just really proud of this team.”
The Bulldogs were highlighted by an impressive serve and receive game, with 10 service aces on the night, a major component of MSU's impressive play.
“Our serving and passing was unbelievable and we've said all along you have to be able to serve and pass efficiently to win,” Hazelwood said. “We had 10 aces, which was huge, and our passing was as good as it has been all season.”
The Tigers would jump out in front with an 8-3 lead, seeming to grab the momentum out of the gate. However, a trio of aces from Amber Gass highlighted MSU's 5-0 run to tie the match at 8-all. From there it was a back-and-forth affair, with both sides earning as large as three-point leads. Tied at 22-22, MSU pushed ahead behind a pair of LSU errors to earn set point, but would have to battle to take the opening frame.
LSU would fight off three set points before the Maroon and White capitalized, as Ellen Stuart made a diving dig that fell on the Tigers' side for the kill, giving MSU a 27-25 first-set victory.
The visitors would respond in the second, but it would once again be another tight battle between the two squads. After taking a 1-0 lead off a Leticia Valente kill, MSU would trail the Tigers until rallying back to tie the set at 10-all. Despite the rally, the Bulldogs would be unable to gain the lead until a 4-0 run, capped by a block from Bali Leffall-Young, put the Maroon and White ahead 17-16. Both sides would trade time in the lead, but LSU would use three-straight scores at the end to bring the match even at 1-1, taking the second frame, 25-22.
Sunday's third set proved to be a nail-biter, as neither side would earn more than a three-point lead. Down 23-21 and two points from falling down 2-1 in the match, MSU's senior Stommes came to the rescue, firing away a rocket of a kill to pull the Bulldogs within one. Freshman libero Payton Harris followed Stommes with an ace, bringing things even at 23-all. LSU would call for timeout, but could not stop the Bulldog run, as a Tiger error and a kill from Chelsea Duhs put away the third set, 25-23, and gave MSU a 2-1 lead in the match.
LSU would respond once more, this time opening the fourth set with an 11-3 lead and looking poised to force a final frame. LSU would keep its eight-point lead, going up 18-10 when the Bulldogs mounted their rally back into the set. Five-straight points, emphasized by a Katlyn Mataya ace and a Duhs kill, pulled MSU to within three. LSU would push back out to a five-point lead when MSU sparked another rally, cutting the Tigers' lead to 24-22. Stuart would save a third-straight set point with an ace, but LSU put down the State rally, taking the fourth frame, 25-23.
The Maroon and White would jump out of the gates in the fifth, going up 3-0 behind an LSU error and a pair of kills from Duhs. LSU would pull even at 3-3, but would never come that close again. An 8-2 run created the separation the Bulldogs needed, grabbing the momentum and never looking back. LSU attempted to rally, saving two match points and forcing a timeout for the home squad. However, the Bulldogs wrapped the match in Maroon and White behind a block from Leffall-Young, taking the final set, 15-9, and the match, 3-2.
“We kept telling the team that all the pressure was on LSU when heading into the final set,” Hazelwood said. “Early on in the fifth, we made a couple mistakes, but we kept our composure the whole time, didn't overthink it and just played a great game.”
Leading MSU was a quartet of attackers, as Alex Warren (12), Duhs (11), Leffall-Young (10) and Valente (10) all tallied double-digit kills. Anderton put together 40 assists on the night, her fourth 40-plus assist match of the season. Anderton also earned 10 digs, making it her sixth double-double of the year.
Defensively, Leffall-Young led MSU with six total blocks, including two solos, which tied a career high. Harris put together 24 digs against the Tigers, upping her season total to 672, moving her into second place on the SEC single-season list. Her 24 total also marks her 20th match of 20-plus digs this season.
Stommes put together six kills and three blocks on Senior Day, including several kills that sparked key Bulldog rallies throughout the match.
“I am super proud for Kelsey after this match,” Hazelwood said. “For her to get a win on the night that her family and friends are here to celebrate her and all she has done in her career, it makes me very happy for her.”
The Bulldogs will return to action with an away-and-home weekend, as State travels to Georgia on Friday, Nov. 21, for a 5 p.m. CT, first serve. MSU will return home on Sunday, Nov. 23, at 1 p.m., to take on No. 16 Kentucky. Both matches will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
For more information and updates on Mississippi State volleyball, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at HailStateVB.
