Alabama
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Mississippi State
Volleyball Drops Match at Mississippi State 3-1
10/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 20, 2010
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Three attackers finished with double-digit kills, but the volleyball team fell 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-18, 27-25) Wednesday at Mississippi State in the Newell-Grissom Building. With the loss, the Crimson Tide dips to 9-11 on the season and 1-9 against Southeastern Conference opponents, while the Bulldogs improve to 11-10 overall and 3-7 in the league.
Sophomore Kayla Fitterer led the offense with a match-high tying 17 kills and 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season and sixth of her career. Senior Alyssa Meuth and redshirt sophomore Leigh Moyer also finished with double-digit kills tacking on 13 and 11, respectively. Moyer had one of her best blocking performances as well tallying three block assists and a pair of block solos. Sophomore Kelsey Anderson led the match in digs with 20 and service aces with three.
Alabama picked up the first point of the match off a Mississippi State attack error, but from there, the Bulldogs went on to earn the next three points with a pair of kills and a block for the 3-1 lead. Mississippi State continued to lead by as many as four on two occasions early in the set. After six ties, the Tide was able to get on top with a kill from Fitterer at 18-17, but the lead for Alabama was short lived as Mississippi State tacked on the next two points to regain control. The Tide would even the score two more times before the set was over, however an Alabama attack error would end the set 25-23 in favor of the Bulldogs.
A pair of kills from Meuth gave the Tide an early lead in the second before a 4-1 run put Mississippi State up 5-3. The Bulldogs remained in front until committing an attack error giving Alabama the 10-9 advantage. The Tide grabbed its largest lead of the set as Moyer had a big solo block following a long rally that put Alabama up 17-14. Mississippi State would fight its way back late tying the frame and eventually taking the lead 20-19 with a kill. The duration of the set went back and forth until a pair of kills from Moyer gave the Tide a 25-23 win to even the match at one set apiece.
Kills from Meuth and Fitterer to open the third put Alabama ahead 2-0, however the Bulldogs would earn the next four points to take the lead. The Tide came within one of Mississippi State, but a 6-1 run by the Bulldogs stretched the margin. Mississippi State continued to pace the frame leading by as many as eight. A kill from Meuth helped Alabama avoid the first Bulldog set-point opportunity, but on the ensuing play a service ace for the Tide ended the third 25-18.
Mississippi State delivered the first kill of the fourth, but Alabama followed that with back-to-back kills of its own to soon take the lead. With the score tied at 6-6, the Bulldogs managed to string together three unanswered points that caused the Tide to use a timeout. Alabama rallied back to even the set at 13-13. From there, the Tide scored seven consecutive points giving Alabama its largest lead in the match. Mississippi State came back with an 11-4 run tying the set at 24-24. The teams traded kills on the next two plays to tie the score again, but the Bulldogs would go on to pick up the next two points for the 27-25 victory in the fourth.
Alabama collected 58 total kills in the match compared to Mississippi State's 53, while the Bulldogs narrowly edged the Tide in hitting percentage .214-.205. Mississippi State also had four additional blocks and two more service aces.
Alabama returns to action Sunday, Oct. 24, when it hosts Mississippi at 1:30 p.m. CT. in the CAVE.
