MSU Falls in Three at Tennessee

Sunday, October 13

Knoxville, Tenn.

12:30 PM

Mississippi State

Tennessee

Photo by: Blake Williams/MSU Athletics

MSU Falls in Three at Tennessee

October 13, 2019 | Volleyball

Box Score

By Austin Coats, Graduate Assistant/Communications

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Mississippi State volleyball completed a three-game road stretch Sunday (Oct. 13) in Knoxville, falling in straight sets to Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Mississippi State (11-7, 0-6 SEC) dropped the first two sets by a score of 25-15, but kept pace with Tennessee (9-7, 3-3 SEC) in the third set, as a Lady Volunteer challenge overturned a 24-24 tie.

"It was another tough road match for us, but I think the response we saw in the third set was something for us to be proud of," MSU volleyball coach Julie Darty said. "We tried a totally different lineup and the girls really stepped up & did a great job. I thought Brooklyn Lochner and Katie Culumovic did a nice job coming off the bench and giving us some life."

Sophomores Gabby Waden and Deja Robinson led MSU on the attacking front. Waden had double-digit kills for the 13th time in 18 matches this season, while Robinson tallied nine on a .444 hitting percentage.

"We passed the ball pretty well for the most part, because Deja was able to get set quite often and I think she was pretty good offensively," Darty said. "Defensively we weren't getting the touches and the digs that we needed to keep it competitive." We will continue to commit to getting better and staying the course."

First Set (Tennessee 25, Mississippi State 15)

The Lady Volunteers separated themselves with four-straight points after a 5-5 tie. Tennessee never looked back, taking the first set.

Second Set (Tennessee 25, Mississippi State 15)

A late 9-1 scoring run boosted Tennessee to victory following an initially close set. Up 15-14, The Lady Vols found their rhythm and won the second set.

Third Set (Tennessee 25, Mississippi State 23)

A challenge ruined what could have been a comeback starting set for MSU. With set for Tennessee, the Bulldogs tied the set at 24-24. However, a Tennessee challenge revealed a net violation, reversing the point for a Tennessee third set and match win.

The Bulldogs and Lady Vols traded punches for most of the final frame. A 5-1 run gave MSU a 20-16 lead, but State just couldn't hold on.

Up Next
The Bulldogs return home to face Texas A&M on Friday, Oct. 18, at the Newell-Grissom Building.

"Another week, more work to be done," Darty said. "We have a lot to get better and improve upon, so I'm looking forward to a good week of practice to prepare for two huge home matches next weekend. We continue to talk about doing our jobs and taking ownership, but we aren't there yet. We need to get back to the basics this week and I am hopeful that if we individually do our jobs, good things will happen for the team."

For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateVB.