Robinson Rips Razorbacks, MSU Volleyball Falls in Four

Sunday, October 20

Starkville

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

11-9 (0-8SEC)

Arkansas

7-12 (1-6SEC)

Arkansas

Mississippi St.

Robinson Rips Razorbacks, MSU Volleyball Falls in Four

October 20, 2019 | Volleyball

Box Score

By Austin Coats, Graduate Assistant/Communications

STARKVILLE – Deja Robinson shined Sunday in Mississippi State volleyball's loss to Arkansas at the Newell-Grissom Building.

The sophomore tallied a season-high 18 kills on a .424 hitting percentage to go with six digs, six total blocks and 21.5 points.

Despite some strong individual performances, Mississippi State (11-9, 0-8 SEC) dropped the Sunday matchup with Arkansas (7-12, 1-6 SEC) in four sets.

The Bulldogs battled to a third set victory after going down 25-19 in each of the first two frames. The Razorbacks sealed it in the fourth set, 25-22.

"It was a tough Sunday for the Bulldogs," MSU volleyball coach Julie Darty said. "We were a little bit slow to get going, and it felt like there were a lot of nerves and emotions in that first set. It took us a while to calm down and figure it out.

"I think if we are getting Deja [Robinson] 32 swings and she is getting 18 kills on that, then we are certainly passing the ball just fine. Everything that we are struggling with is on our side of the net. We have to get back to the drawing board and get stuff figured out to get back to being something that we are proud of."

MSU won the dig battle 67-64 as three Bulldogs had double-digit digs. Senior libero Kanani Price was the only player on the court with 20-plus digs as she collected 23, her second-most in a three-year career. Freshmen Callie Minshew (13) and Makenzie Jordan (11) followed with strong defensive outings.

Amarrah Cooks followed Robinson with another strong outing. The senior tallied 12 kills on 31 assists for a .290 hitting percentage. On the weekend, Cooks managed 25 kills and a .339 hitting mark.

Senior setter Alleah Stamatis averaged 12 assists per set while picking up 48 total assists in Sunday's match, her third-highest total of the season.

"In our serve and pass we need to get back to the basics because people are going to pick on our outside hitters," Darty said. "We have to find ways to be fearless and be bold and courageous to make those plays happen. I think consistency is the name of the game, and we just have to figure out what that looks like."

First Set (Arkansas 25, Mississippi State 19)

The Razorbacks got out to an early lead and ran with it to take a 1-0 advantage in the match. Robinson opened the match with six of her 18 kills in the opening frame.

Second Set (Arkansas 25, Mississippi State 19)

Arkansas found its rhythm late to capture the second set. The Razorbacks took a 23-18 lead on a close play that MSU challenged for a late touch on an Arkansas kill, but the call stood, and Arkansas closed the frame shortly after.

Third Set (Mississippi State 25, Arkansas 22)

A 3-0 run gave the Bulldogs an 11-8 lead, and the Razorbacks never regained it back. Arkansas came within two on set point, but a kill from MSU's Jordan gave State the set victory.

Fourth Set (Arkansas 25, Mississippi State 22)

Down 24-18, a 4-0 run wasn't enough for MSU to steal another set win. After a timeout, the Razorbacks claimed the frame and the match with a kill.

Up Next
Mississippi State's next opportunity comes Friday, Oct. 25, when the Bulldogs host Auburn to complete the three-match homestand. The contest will be televised on SEC Network starting at 8 p.m. CT.

"It's back to practice this week, and then we have another big home match," Darty said. "They will be well prepared and hungry to play us. We are going to have to work hard and continue to trust the process."

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

--HailState.com--