Alabama Volleyball Loses to Mississippi State, 3-1
10/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. ?? The University of Alabama volleyball team, one of the hottest teams in the nation coming into the weekend, ended a disappointing two-match road trip by dropping a 3-1 decision to Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss. The Tide, who had won six straight SEC matches coming into the weekend, lost both of its matches on the weekend, each to schools from the Magnolia state.
Mississippi State jumped all over the Tide early, cruising to an easy 30-15 win while holding Alabama to an .086 hitting percentage. Game two was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Bulldogs outlast the Tide for a 30-28 win despite a .312 hitting percentage by the Alabama offense. The Tide hit .303 in game three and kept its hopes alive with an exciting 31-29 win, but was unable to complete the comeback, as MSU put together just enough late to earn the 30-28 win in game four to end the match.
“I was very proud of the way our team responded after game one,” Tide head coach Judy Green said. “I felt like we were in all three of the final games, but it came down to who made the plays at the end of each game and today they just made a few more plays then we did.”
The Bulldogs used a balanced attack to defeat the Tide. Four MSU players recorded double figures in kills, led by Martina Gregusova, who pounded a match-high 18. Mississippi State utilized a strong serving attack to help keep the Alabama offense out of sync, as the Bulldogs racked up 12 service aces on the afternoon.
Alabama’s middle blockers, Crystal Hudson and Rachael Green, led the Tide in the losing effort. Hudson, the SEC and National Player of the Week last week, hit .429 and put down 16 kills against Mississippi State. Green, a senior co-captain, had 10 kills for her second double-figure kill total of the season.
“I thought Crystal Hudson and Rachael Green played very well and impvoed throughout the weekend,” Green said.
Bridget Fuentez had 10 kills for the Tide, while fellow outside hitter Brooks Webster chipped in eight. Setter Brigitte Slack had 34 assists for the Tide.
Defensively, libero Amy Pauly notched her second straight match with at least 20 digs and finished with a team-high 20. Slack and teammate Megan Hudson posted 13 digs apiece, while Fuentez ended the day with 11.
Alabama falls to 13-9 and 8-4 in the SEC, while MSU improved to 13-8 and 5-7 in the league.
“Our team learned that we have to have an aggressive mentality at all times,” Green said. “We might have experienced a few growing pains this weekend, but we are anxious to get back in the gym to get ready for our next match. Our best volleyball is still to come. The loss was disappointing, but the lessons we learned this weekend will help us throughout the end of the season.”
The Tide returns to its home floor next weekend as part of Homecoming festivities at the Capstone, hosting instate rival Auburn on Friday, Oct. 27. The weekend concludes with a matchup with league-leading Florida on Sunday, Oct. 29 in the CAVE.
