Mississippi State
13-7, 3-4SEC
LSU
8-9, 4-2SEC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State | 17 | 19 | 22 | 0 |
| LSU | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
State Volleyball Falls In 3-0 Decision At LSU
October 17, 2015 | Volleyball
BATON ROUGE, La. – In the first contest of a three-match road stretch, the Mississippi State volleyball Bulldogs (13-7, 3-4 SEC) fell in three sets to the LSU Tigers (8-9, 4-2 SEC) at the Maravich Assembly Center on Friday night.
State was unable to find its footing against the Tigers, as LSU came out strong to take a 3-0 victory. The Bulldogs would keep it close with the home squad until midway through both the first and second sets. Late runs from the Tigers would seal their 2-0 lead. LSU jumped out on the Bulldogs early in the third and looked poised to run away with the contest before MSU grinded its way back into the contest. State would draw within one, but come no closer as the Tigers closed out the straight-sets win.
“We had a tough go tonight against a very talented LSU team,” MSU coach David McFatrich said. “We weren't ourselves out there and seemed to lack heart and soul throughout the match. The girls came on strong late in the third, but we have to be better at coming out with a presence earlier in the match.”
The Tigers jumped out of the gates quick to start Friday night's match, going 4-1 behind a trio of kills and an MSU error. Kills from Evie Grace Singleton, Alex Warren and Chelsea Duhs would help State come within one. A kill from Jazmyne Johnson would tie the match and an LSU error shortly after would shoot the Bulldogs into the lead, 10-9. The two sides would trade time in the lead until a 10-2 Tiger run put LSU ahead for good, as it would go on to take the set, 25-17.
The second set started out more even-keeled, as State kept LSU at bay in the early portions of the frame. The Bulldogs earned a 3-1 run to tie the match at 7-all, but the Tigers would not let State go any further. State would come within four, down 23-19. However, it would not be enough as the Tigers reeled off consecutive kills to take the set, 25-19, and a 2-0 lead in the match.
LSU started off the third frame up 8-2 after the Bulldogs earned the first point of the match. The Tigers would push their lead to as much as 10, up 15-5, before the Bulldogs pulled together to make a run to get back into the match. State would grind back into the contest, chipping away at the Tiger lead to come within one, down 23-22. The run would go no further, as LSU used a kill and an ace to pull away, taking the set, 25-22, and the match, 3-0.
Leading the way for Bulldogs was Warren, who had nine kills on the night. Blossom Sato led State with 17 assists, while Shelby Anderton earned her third double-digit assist performance of the year with 10. Defensively, State MSU was paced by Duhs, Johnson and Emily Howard, who had four blocks each. Payton Harris led the Maroon and White with seven digs.
Cati Leak and Toni Rodriguex led all players with 13 kills each. Cheyenne Wood paced the Tigers with 19 assists, while Lindsay Flory totaled 18. Katie Lindelow led all players with 13 digs, while Olivia Beyer earned a match-high seven blocks.
“As tough as that one is to take, we have to move on to the next challenge,” McFatrich said. “In the SEC, you have to learn from your mistakes and get ready for the next contest quickly. We're going to hit the gym for practice tomorrow and begin preparing for Texas A&M.”
The Bulldogs return to action on Sunday, Oct. 18, as they travel to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies. First serve is set for 1 p.m. CT, and will be live streamed 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.
