STARKVILLE — In one of the most dominating performances of the season to date, the Mississippi State volleyball team swept Georgia 3-0 on Sunday afternoon in a Southeastern Conference match at the Newell-Grissom Building. Set scores were 25-17, 25-11, 25-18.
MSU (13-6, 3-3 SEC) took control from the start, as Georgia led only three times in the match, all in the second set. Georgia tied the score at least once in each set, but couldn’t prevent MSU from earning the sweep.
The win snapped an eight-match losing streak to Georgia and also marks the first sweep against Georgia since Nov. 16, 1979. The third win in SEC play also eclipses last season’s total of two.
“That was a great effort by our team today from start to finish,” MSU coach David McFatrich said. “We talk about being aggressive from the get-go and being ‘good, good, great’ in terms of our progression in a match. Today they were both of those and that’s why were able to get the sweep.”
MSU built an 8-3, highlighted by a pair of blocks from Alex Warren, Chelsea Duhs and Emily Howard and a service ace from Amber Gass. Georgia cut the deficit to 12-11, but Warren paced MSU the rest of the set with four kills and four blocks.
Georgia jumped out in front several times early in the second set, but MSU rallied and was challenged only one more time in the set, as Georgia drew within one at 11-10. MSU slammed the door thanks to a 14-1 run, including a stretch of 12-straight points to close the set. Warren turned the most impressive performance of the match, bombing three-straight aces during the stretch. The senior had five in the set, tying her career high.
The 11 points MSU held Georgia to in the set were the least allowed points in a set against an SEC opponent since holding South Carolina to 11 in 2010.
MSU closed the match thanks to a trio of kills from Howard, Warren, and Evie Grace Singleton. MSU led 15-7 at the break before Georgia used a 7-1 run to cut the deficit to 17-16. But MSU pushed ahead to match point, 24-18. Warren’s seventh ace of the match sealed the deal.
Warren led all players with 10 kills, and earned a new career high in aces (seven). She also had four blocks.
“I feel like that was the most aggressive I have been on the service line all year and it paid off,” Warren said.
MSU had 14 aces, its most since it had 16 against Arkansas-Little Rock on Aug. 25, 2007. Singleton was one off tying her career high with four, while Gass had three.
“Our service game was off the charts today, especially from A-Dubs (Alex Warren),” McFatrich said. “That stretch of three-straight aces in the second set is such a rarity in the sport. It’s absolutely impressive the way she played today.”
Blossom Sato led all players with 25 assists. It was her 15th match with at least 25 digs.
Freshman Torrey Tinney tied for the match high with seven digs. Howard, Duhs, and Jazmyne Johnson had three blocks.
Megan Spencer had five kills to lead Georgia (5-11, 0-4). Kendall Kazor and Sarah Lagler-Clark both had seven assists, while Cassidy Anderson turned in seven digs. Desiree McCray led all players with five blocks.
MSU will play LSU at 7 p.m. Friday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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