Alabama
Mississippi
Volleyball Falls to Mississippi in Five Sets
10/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 11, 2009
OXFORD, Miss. - The volleyball team dropped its second five-setter of the weekend with a 3-2 (23-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-17, 17-15) loss Sunday at Mississippi in the Gillom Sport Center. With the loss, the Crimson tide drops to 6-12 on the season and 4-4 against Southeastern Conference opponents, while the Rebels improve to 7-11 overall and 1-7 versus league foes.
"I was disappointed that we were up 2-0 today and couldn't finish," said head coach Judy Green. "We gave up too many big runs between the third and fourth sets. I thought we made some spectacular plays in the fifth, but I would like to see us make routine plays. Also, as much as we focused on blocking this week in practice we really didn't see much of that today. We'll have to go back and do it again."
Junior Alyssa Meuth led a trio of Alabama attackers with 17 kills followed by senior Brooks Webster with 13 and sophomore Ashley Frazier with 11. Freshman Kelsey Anderson notched a career-best 24 digs in the match.
Mississippi got the scoring started in the match with a pair of kills to take the quick 2-0 edge. Alabama kept close, however, and grabbed hold of the lead off a Webster kill at 10-9. The Tide continued to pace the set going in front by as many as three before the Rebels put together a five-point run for the 20-18 advantage. Mississippi remained in front over the next few series, but Alabama found itself right back in the set and tied it up at 22-22 behind a solo block from Meuth. Frazier would deliver a kill on the next play to give the Tide the lead once again, which it would not give up for the duration of the frame. A pair of kills, one from Meuth and one from Frazier, was all the Tide needed to close out the first 25-23.
Alabama got up early in the second and stayed there until four-point swing went in favor of the Rebels to give the home team a 9-8 edge. The Tide then rattled off four points of its own, including a trio of kills from Meuth, to jump back ahead. Alabama went up by as many as six, but could not shut out Mississippi as the Rebels would eventually tie the set and take the lead off a service ace setting the score at 18-17. The Tide didn't stay down for long grabbing hold of the lead once again at 19-18. Alabama remained composed and kept its place on top throughout winning the second 25-23.
The third began close with Mississippi taking the early lead, but the Tide soon went ahead 5-4 off a Webster kill. Alabama stayed in front until a Rebel 3-0 run put Mississippi back on top 14-13. From that point on the Rebels would hold the advantage going up by as many as five in the frame. Despite a late run by the Tide, Mississippi was able to hold on for the 25-21 win to stay alive in the match.
The fourth set went back and forth in the beginning with seven ties and four lead changes in all. Once the Rebels grabbed the lead back 12-11, however, it was all Mississippi from there. The Rebels gradually built on their buffer as the set went on and ended on an 8-3 run to take the frame by a 25-17 decision.
After a close start in the fifth, Mississippi tacked on a trio of unanswered points for the 6-3 lead. Alabama cut it to two moments later, but the Rebels would, again, come back and go up by four with the score set at 9-5. The Tide was able to tie it up on three occasions, including 15-15, but Mississippi delivered a pair of kills to close out the set 17-15.
Alabama returns home for a pair of SEC East matchups next weekend when it hosts Tennessee and No. 10 Kentucky. Friday's match against the Lady Volunteers is slated for 6:00 p.m. (CST) and will serve as this season's Power of Pink match. Sunday's contest with the Wildcats will begin at 1:30 p.m. (CST).
