Bulldogs Pick up SEC Victory Against Auburn

Friday, October 25

Starkville

8:00 PM

Mississippi State

12-9,1-8SEC

Auburn

6-13,0-8SEC

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Auburn	25	22	15	16	1
Mississippi St.	19	25	25	25	3

October 25, 2019 | Volleyball

Box Score

By Austin Coats, Graduate Assistant/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State volleyball is back in the win column!

The Bulldogs (12-9, 1-8 SEC) picked up their first SEC win of the campaign, defeating Auburn (6-13, 0-8 SEC) in a nationally televised four-set contest at the Newell Grissom Building on Friday (Oct. 25). It was MSU's third-straight win at home against Auburn.

Auburn took the opening set 25-19, but the Bulldogs bounced back with 25-22 victory in set two to tie it. The momentum stayed with MSU from there, as State cruised to wins in the third in fourth sets, 25-15 and 25-16.

"Tonight was a huge moment for this program," MSU volleyball head coach Julie Darty said. "In that second set, when we were down 8-2, I called a timeout and I just let the team decide that they were just going to find a way to gut it out and get a win tonight if they wanted to. They found that will to win, and they found that fight and I'm super proud of this team's effort."

A total team performance led State to victory Friday night, but Callie Minshew's third double-double of the season stood out. The freshman tallied 11 kills and 15 digs for her first SEC double-double.

Sophomore Paige Shaw had a great night all-around, picking up nine kills, two service aces, 11 digs and five blocks. Three-straight kills from Shaw ended the third set which put MSU up 2-1 going into the final fourth frame.

"Our outsides rose to the occasion," Darty said. "They had double-digit digs in the back row and had positive numbers in the front."

The MSU defense was solid, defeating Auburn in blocks (11-3) and digs (77-66). Four Bulldogs has double-digit digs, led by junior libero Kanani Price who had 21.

Senior setter Alleah Stamatis had 46 assists in the win after collecting 48 against Arkansas on Sunday. Over her last two matches, Stamatis is averaging 11.75 assists per set.

Gabby Waden led the Bulldogs with 15 kills, while fellow sophomore Deja Robinson had the most efficient night attacking with nine kills on a .318 hitting percentage.

First Set (Auburn 25, Mississippi State 19)

Mississippi State picked up an early lead in the set after a 5-0 run made it 8-7, but Auburn came out of a timeout fighting. The Tigers ran away with it after four-straight points gave them a 21-16 lead.

Waden had five of her kills in the opening set.

Second Set (Mississippi State 25, Auburn 22)

Auburn looked poised to go up 2-0 in the match, getting out to an 8-2 lead before Darty called her first timeout of the set. Darty's squad refocused, and eventually tied it at 19-19 from a block by Robinson and Stamatis. The Bulldogs then took the lead on an Auburn attack error before closing out the set.

Third Set (Mississippi State 25, Auburn 15)

Minshew put down four kills in a span of six-straight points for the Bulldogs that put MSU ahead 14-7 in the third set. Later, Shaw would collect the final three points of the 25-15 set win, all with kills.

The third frame win was MSU's third straight victory in the third set.

Fourth Set (Mississippi State 25, Auburn 16)

State got out to a 12-8 lead on a service from Stamatis and cruised to clinch the match victory. Robinson was 5-for-6 hitting in leading State to the fourth-frame win.

Up Next
Mississippi State will travel to Columbia, Missouri, to face the No. 25 Missouri Tigers to start a three-match road stretch.

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