Mississippi State
13-10 (3-7)SEC
Tennessee
19-6 (5-5)SEC
Bulldogs Drop Five-Set Heartbreaker To Tennessee
October 25, 2015 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Despite jumping ahead by two sets, the Mississippi State volleyball Bulldogs (13-10, 3-7 SEC) succumbed to a furious Tennessee Volunteers (19-6, 5-5 SEC) rally, falling 3-2 Sunday afternoon at Newell-Grissom.
State seemed in control from the start, taking the first set in dominating fashion, 25-17. The Bulldogs put together a series of runs in the second set to fend off the Vols, winning 25-23 and taking a 2-0 match lead. The third set would prove to be crucial, as State jumped ahead early, but could not keep Tennessee at bay. The Vols would fight back to take a 26-24 third-set win and gain the momentum from there.
UT would dominate the fourth, winning 25-16. The Vols would then jump ahead early and never look back in the fifth, taking the final set, 15-7, and the match, 3-2.
The loss snapped a four-match winning streak for the Bulldogs against the Volunteers, while also ending MSU's five-match home winning streak.
“That was a tough one for us. We started off playing great, but just could not put the finishing touches on this one,” MSU coach David McFatrich said. “You have to give credit to a great Tennessee team for fighting back, but we feel like a lot of this is on us. We have to work on closing out matches and just being more mentally tough. This one stings for sure, but we have to get back in the gym, continue to work harder and get ready for the next match.”
The Bulldogs brought a new energy to court to start Sunday's match, using the attacking prowess of Evie Grace Singleton and Jazmyne Johnson, teamed with a strong block to jump out in front, 6-3. State would not relent, then turning to its service game to push its lead out even further. MSU tallied seven total aces in the set, with Singleton turning in five of those, tying a career high. Tennessee would try to work its way back into the set before a 6-0 MSU run, which saw Singleton earn three aces in four total points, put the set out of reach. A late kill from Chelsea Duhs and back-to-back aces from Alex Warren shut the door on the Vols, giving State a 25-17 first-set win and a 1-0 lead in the match.
Sunday's second set was a back-and-forth affair, as both sides traded time in the lead early on. MSU would use a 4-1 run to create a little separation, but the Vols would slowly chip away at the home lead, eventually jumping in front themselves, 16-15. UT pushed its lead to as much as two several times, including a late 23-21 lead before State put its foot on the pedal. Kills from Singleton and Katie Nicholson, combined with a Payton Harris ace gave MSU set point, up 24-23. The Bulldogs would then seal it behind a bruising block from Nicholson and Singleton, taking the set, 25-23, and a 2-0 lead in the contest.
The Volunteers would not go quietly however, pulling it together in third and coming within a set of tying thanks to a late rally. The Bulldogs seemed poised to run away with the match, going up 10-2 early before UT made its run. A 5-1 run would chip away State's lead, but the Bulldogs were able to maintain their position out in front, going up 21-16 late. A 7-2 Vol run would push the visitors out in front, with a kill and an MSU error sealing the set, 26-24, and cutting State's lead to 2-1.
Tennessee would completely erase the deficit in the fourth, jumping ahead early and never looking back. State would come within one twice, but the Vols denied MSU a chance to tie, putting together a 5-0 run to create enough separation for the rest of the set. The Bulldogs were unable to cut the lead below six, as UT went on to tie the match at 2-all with a 25-16 fourth-set win.
The fifth would seal the deal for the visitors, as Tennessee started off the set up 5-0 and remained in front the rest of the way. MSU was only able to cut the lead down to three before a series of runs put the set away for the Vols, 15-7, and complete the comeback, winning 3-2.
Singleton paced the Bulldogs with 17 kills and 14 digs for her third double-double of the year. The junior also put together a career-high-tying five aces. Duhs tied a career high with 16 kills, while Warren earned 12 kills and two aces on the afternoon.
Freshman Blossom Sato put together her 15th match of 30-plus assists, tallying that exact number against the Vols. Senior Shelby Anderton made her first start of the season, tallying a season-high 22 assists.
Defensively, Payton Harris led the way with a match-high 28 digs, while freshman Kate Nicholson put together a career-high seven blocks in only her third match this season.
For the Volunteers, Raina Hembry was tops with 13 kills, while Kanisha Jimenez put together 12 on the day. Lexi Dempsey earned a match-high 37 assists, while Bridgette Villano topped the team with 25 digs. Erica Treiber tied Nicholson for the match high in blocks with seven.
State will have next weekend off before returning to action for a Monday night showdown at Troy on Nov. 2. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CT, for the Trojan Arena.
For more information and updates on Mississippi State volleyball, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at HailStateVB.
