Mississippi State
12-6 (2-3)SEC
Missouri
15-1 (3-0)SEC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Mississippi State | 25 | 28 | 22 | 17 | 1 |
MSU Volleyball Falls In Four-Set Thriller To Missouri
October 10, 2015 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – In the second contest of a three-match homestand, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-6, 2-3 SEC) showed tremendous heart and soul, but fell in a thriller to the Missouri Tigers (15-1, 3-0 SEC), 3-1, Friday night at Newell-Grissom.
Behind a raucous crowd at The Griss, the Bulldogs pushed the Tigers, ranked 11th in the latest RPI, to the brink, but fell just short of taking the match. MU took the first set, 27-25, after State had a pair of set points. The Bulldogs rallied to take the second set, 28-26, and looked poised to take a 2-1 lead in the third. However, the Tigers kept MSU from victory, taking the third, 25-22, and the fourth, 25-17.
“That was a tough match for us, but I am extremely proud of the heart and soul our girls showed,” MSU coach David McFatrich said. “That was the kind of fight I love to see in this team. If we play like that and fix a few technical things here and there, we're going to be in good shape from here on out. And I want to give a heartfelt thank you to the crowd tonight. Our fans are amazing and it is a blessing to be a part of the Mississippi State family.”
The energy was electric at The Griss to start the match, as both sides traded points early on. An 8-1 run by Missouri would put the Tigers out in front, 11-6, but not for long. The Bulldogs made their rally, chipping away at the lead and eventually tying the set at 20-all off an Alex Warren kill. A Torrey Tinney service ace gave State set point, but it could not capitalize, as Mizzou fought off a pair of MSU set points to take the set, 27-25.
Despite dropping a heartbreaking first set, the Bulldogs were not letting Mizzou go without a fight. State would pull out to a 15-8 lead midway through the set thanks to the strong play from a number of players, along with a strong defensive showing. MSU would earn its first of six set points at 24-21. MU clawed back to tie the set three times late, but a kill from Warren and a block from Emily Howard and Blossom Sato sealed a 28-26 second-set win.
Missouri came out strong to start the third, going up by as much as six. However, the Bulldogs used kills from Warren, Howard and Chelsea Duhs, along with several Missouri errors to draw the set even at 15-15. The Bulldogs would then jump in the lead, forcing a Tiger timeout that threw the game into a back-and-forth affair. Missouri would again surge into the lead before MSU mounted yet another rally, pulling the set even at 22-all. A kill, block and MSU error would swing the momentum back in Mizzou's favor, giving them a 25-22 third-set win.
Up 2-1 in the match, the Tigers were dominant in the fourth to take the match. MU went up 19-10 before State mounted several small rallies. It would not be enough though, as Missouri kept the Bulldogs at bay, taking the fourth frame, 25-17, and the match, 3-1.
State was paced by Warren, as her 19 kills led all players. Jazmyne Johnson also tallied double-digit kills with 10. Sato put together her sixth match of 40-plus assists this season, tallying 40 to lead the match.
Howard was the MSU leader in blocks with four, while Payton Harris put on impressive defensive showing, tallying a match-high 24 digs.
Missouri was led by Carly Kan, who had 16 kills on the night. Courtney Eckenrode was tops in assists with 22, while Kan and Alex Ethridge led the Tigers in digs with 14. Emily Thater led all players with five blocks.
“Our attention now turns to Georgia,” McFatrich said. “We have to get focused for them and that starts tomorrow at practice.”
MSU returns to action on Sunday, Oct. 11 as it hosts Georgia to close out the homestand. The battle of the Bulldogs begins at noon CT at Newell-Grissom and will be broadcasted 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.
