Mississippi State
7-6,1-3SEC
#19 Florida
11-4,2-2SEC
Bulldogs Fall to #19 Gators, 3-1
October 11, 2024 | Volleyball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Mississippi State Bulldogs dropped the contest against the 19th-ranked Florida Gators in four sets.
State's lone point of the contest didn't come easy, as it saw back and forth action. The score was deadlocked 16 times in the third set alone, with the lead changing teams seven times. With State having a 23-22 lead, Florida took a timeout. Coming out, the Gators gained two points to take their final lead of the set at 24-23, causing a Mississippi State timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Dawgs picked up their first point with a block from Rebecca Walk and Karli Schmidt. From the service of Mary Neal, the Bulldogs would pick up the next final two points off kills from Arianna Beckham and Kailin Newsome.
The concluding set began with a similar theme, as the set saw five tied scores at the 7-7 point. The Gators then opened a 6-0 scoring run and wouldn't concede the lead the rest of the match.
Kailin Newsome picked up a team-high 12 kills in the contest, the 10th time this season she's tallied double-digit kills this season. The middles followed Newsome in the contest, as Arissa Smith and Rebecca Walk picked up 11 and nine kills, respectively. Smith attacked at a team-best .588, the sixth time she's attacked above .500 this season.
The setting duo of Erin Kline and Ceci Harness picked up 21 and 20 assists, respectively. Newsome picked up a team-high eight kills, which was tied by Mele Corral-Blagojevich, who made her first appearance as a libero.
The Bulldogs will be back in action this Sunday at Newell-Grissom as they take on the #25 Auburn Tigers in State's "Dig Pink" matchup. First serve is set for 2 p.m. on the SEC Network.
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