Bulldogs Sweep Golden Eagles in Second Contest

Friday, September 20

Starkville

3 p.m.

Mississippi State

6-3,0-0SEC

Southern Miss

4-8,0-0Sun Belt

Southern Miss.

Mississippi St.

Bulldogs Sweep Golden Eagles in Second Contest

September 20, 2024 | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Caly Haskins, Student Assistant

STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-3) extended their winning streak to five games on Friday, as they took down the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in three straight sets. Today's sweep marked the first time since 2022 that the Bulldogs picked up five straight match victories.

"That's the most consistent we've played this season. It was great for us to finish strong before we head into SEC play," head coach Julie Darty Dennis said. "We've grown a lot in our offense. We got our middles involved, and when we get them involved, that helps everybody."

State took a quick win in set one with a score of 25-8. This was the quickest set win the bulldogs have recorded this year. The Bulldogs moved one step closer to a sweep as they took set two on an attacking error by the Golden Eagles. State secured the sweep on a kill by Arissa Smith winning the set 25-19.

Smith was a force in this match, as she finished with nine kills on 13 total attacks. Smith was also a wall at the net, as she collected a career-high and team leading 5.0 blocks.

Rebecca Walk and Kailin Newsome tallied eight kills, as Walk recorded a career-high .800 hitting percentage on 10 swings. Arianna Beckham, Amina Shackelford and Karli Schmidt combined for 15 kills and 19.5 points.

Ceci Harness collected a team high 20 assists, followed by Erin Kline, who picked up 15. For the second match in a row, Kline recorded two service aces, which tied her career high.

McKenna Yates got a career-high and team best 19 digs. Following behind her were Harness and Newsome who gathered eight and seven, respectively.

The Bulldogs will begin SEC play in Columbia, South Carolina next Friday, September 27 against the South Carolina Gamecocks. The match will be broadcast on SEC Network.

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