Bulldogs Fall in Five-Set Series Finale

Sunday, October 18

Starkville

12:00 PM

Mississippi State

0-2,0-2SEC

Arkansas

2-0,2-0SEC

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Arkansas	23	19	31	25	15	3
Mississippi St.	25	25	29	23	13	2

Bulldogs Fall in Five-Set Series Finale

October 18, 2020 | Volleyball

Box Score

By: Austin Coats, Graduate Assistant/Communications

STARKVILLE – At three hours and six minutes, it was the longest match ever played at the Newell-Grissom Building.

Despite career performances from a pair of juniors and 17 total team blocks, Mississippi State volleyball fell in five sets against Arkansas Sunday (Oct. 18) at the Newell-Grissom Building. The Razorbacks swept the two-match SEC series with a pair of five-set wins over two days.

"It was another super tough five-set battle," MSU volleyball coach Julie Darty Dennis said. We did an excellent job in the first two sets of keeping the momentum on our side, playing with some control and really setting the tempo. It got away from us in the third set. I think the momentum went their way, and it seemed like the win got knocked out of us a little bit.

"We are playing some pretty inspired volleyball. For us to have 17 team blocks today is big. We are blocking a lot of balls and that's pretty fun to watch."

MSU and Arkansas played the maximum amount of set for the third-straight matchup, dating back to November 2019. State won the opening two sets, but the Razorbacks took momentum from a 31-29 set victory in the third frame to boost them to the five-set win. All three of Arkansas' set wins came by just two points.

"I think the way we are approaching each set and each point has to change and we have got to get back to that control and focus," Darty Dennis said. "Overall, I thought everyone did a great job of, when we face some adversity, stepping in and handling whatever role we're throwing them in. We just have to continue to find ways to be more efficient and be clutch when it really matters most."

Junior Deja Robinson's career-high 12 blocks tied for second all-time among MSU's single-match leaders and was the highest total since Bali Leffall-Young (12) on October 17, 2014 against Tennessee. Robinson also collected three solo blocks Sunday to put her name in MSU's top 10 for career solo blocks, tying Temeka Thomas (1996-97) with 53.

Redshirt junior Logan Brown earned her second double-double performance of the weekend, totaling 19 kills and a career-high 18 digs to lead the team in both categories. The Dallas, Texas, native had 30 kills and 28 digs on the weekend, and recorded her first double-double in the series opener on Saturday.

Junior Gabby Waden (15 kills) and sophomore Lauren Myrick (14) each had double-digit kills also. Freshman Lilly Gunter tallied 14 digs Sunday and 31 total this weekend.

For Arkansas, Elizabeth Pamphile and Jillian Gillen each had 17 kills to lead the team. The Bulldogs were able to hold Gillen, an SEC All-Freshman Team performer a year ago, to a .052 hitting mark. Ryan Gracie (21 digs), Taylor Head (20) and Lauren Evans (19) paced the Razorbacks defensively.

First Set (Mississippi State 25, Arkansas 23)

The Bulldogs recovered from a 9-2 deficit to capture an opening set win. After Julie Darty Dennis called a timeout with a seven-point deficit, State surged back with a 5-0 run, emphasized by a Lauren Myrick kill. MSU finally took the lead on Robinson's first solo block of the afternoon, which made it 15-14.

Arkansas re-tied the set at 20-20 to force an MSU timeout, then won the next two points. The Bulldogs recovered again with three straight points off of a Robinson kill, Dean ace and Waden kill. Brown got State to set point with her fifth kill of the match, and Robinson and Myrick teamed up for a block after a long rally to seal the set victory.

Second Set (Mississippi State 25, Arkansas 19)

Another block by Robinson and Myrick gave State a kickstart. Down 14-11, that point started a run of winning nine of ten consecutive points. The Bulldogs held on to the lead and went up 2-0.

Third Set (Arkansas 31, Mississippi State 29)

It took Arkansas extra points to take its first set from MSU as the two teams went back and forth until Arkansas sealed it, 31-29. MSU set up set point five times, but Arkansas was able to come back in each instance.

Fourth Set (Arkansas 25, Mississippi State 23)

Arkansas led for most of the fourth frame as Mississippi State never led by more than one point. Robinson tied the match at 23 apiece with a kill, but the Razorbacks managed two straight kills to tie the match at 2-2.

Fifth Set (Arkansas 15, Mississippi State 13)

Neither team led by more than two points in the final set. State looked to be finally on its way to victory when Waden fired a kill to make it 12-10, MSU. The Razorbacks managed a comeback yet again, however, and back-to-back kills by Gillen sealed the match.

Up Next
The Bulldogs have a quick turnaround as they get set for their first road test in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. State will take on LSU in another two-match series on Wednesday and Thursday (Oct. 21-22), with both matches beginning at 6 p.m. CT. The series opener will be nationally televised on ESPNU.

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