Bulldogs Drop Five-Set Battle To Auburn

Wednesday, September 28

Auburn, Ala.

7:00 PM

Mississippi State

8-4,1-1SEC

Auburn

14-0,3-0SEC

Mississippi St.

Auburn

Photo by: Kevin Snyder/MSU Athletics

Bulldogs Drop Five-Set Battle To Auburn

September 28, 2022 | Volleyball

Box Score

By: Olivia Hooten, Communications Fellow

AUBURN, Ala. – The Mississippi State volleyball team dropped a tightly-contested, five-set battle to the Auburn Tigers on Wednesday night at Neville Arena.

"It was a tough road loss to a very good Auburn team," head coach Julie Darty Dennis said. "It was back and forth and we really have to find a way to sustain our level of play for longer stretches. This was a tough lesson for us to learn super early in SEC play. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there isn't an easy match in this league. You have to bring it every single day and we didn't have it going tonight."

The Bulldogs (8-4, 1-1 SEC) used a late charge to create distance in the first set, taking it 25-19. Auburn (14-0, 3-0 SEC) responded with a 25-18 victory in the second, but the Bulldogs answered right back with a 25-23 win in the third set. The Tigers forced a deciding fifth set with a 25-16 victory in the fourth and closed out the match with a 15-7 win in the final frame.

Emily Oerther and Gabby Coulter combined for 44 assists and 17 digs. Coulter recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 34 assists and 11 digs on the night, while adding four kills.

Gabby Waden tallied a team-leading 15 kills, while adding five blocks and four digs. Shania Cromartie followed suit by recording her second double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs.

Lauren Myrick registered a 10-kill effort and eight digs, while Deja Robinson posted seven kills and a team-leading six blocks. Sania Petties added six kills, two assists, two digs and one ace.

Lilly Gunter came away with 16 digs, three aces and two assists.

"We have a quick turnaround for Arkansas Saturday," Dennis said. "We will get back to work and get focused for our next opponent."

Mississippi State welcomes No. 23 Arkansas to Starkville for a pair matches on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 5 p.m. CT, followed by a 1:30 p.m. tilt on Sunday.

For more information on the Bulldog volleyball program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateVB" on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.