Alabama
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Mississippi State
Volleyball Falls to Bulldogs in Three
9/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 30, 2011
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama women's volleyball suffered a 3-0 (16-25, 23-25, 21-25) Southeastern Conference loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Foster Auditorium on Friday night. With the loss, the Crimson Tide falls to 8-8 overall and 2-4 in SEC play. The Bulldogs improve to 7-7 overall and 2-3 in conference action.
For just the second time this season Alabama suffered a straight-set loss, with both coming in SEC action. The Tide got the seventh double-double of the season from Andrea McQuaid, as the sophomore setter had 13 assists and 10 digs to go along with four kills. Kayla Fitterer led the Tide with 10 kills and Brianne Vande Griend added eight kills. Stephanie Riley had a team-best 16 assists and Cristina Arenas posted a team-high 14 digs. UA was held to a .198 hitting percentage in the match.
Mississippi State posted a .223 hitting percentage as a team, as Caitlin Rance paced the Bulldogs with a match-high 13 kills. Faith Steinwedell had 12 kills and 15 digs for MSU, and hit .346 in the match. Hillary Parker had a match-high 18 digs. With the win, Mississippi State snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Tide in Tuscaloosa.
In the opening set, Mississippi State held an 11-10 lead before running off six of the next seven points in the set. After UA cut into the lead at 17-14, the Bulldogs rallied again to score eight of the final 10 points in the set for a 1-0 lead.
It looked like Alabama would even the match in the second, but when leading 21-19, Mississippi State put on a late push to win the set 25-23. Kills by Steinwedell and Lainey Wyman tied the set at 21-21, but a kill by Vande Griend gave the Tide a one-point edge. Wyman answered again for MSU to even the match at 23-23, then kills by Paris Perret and Rance gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.
The Bulldogs controlled the third set at the net, posting six of the team's seven blocks in the night's final set. MSU held the Tide to a .163 hitting percentage in the third, while finishing the final set with a .278 hitting mark. Trailing 10-15, Alabama put on a late push to get within one (16-17), but Mississippi State went on a 4-1 run to get the breathing room it needed to close the match out in three sets with a 25-21 win.
Alabama will play its final non-conference match of the season on Tuesday, Oct. 4, when the Crimson Tide hosts Alabama A&M at 7 p.m. at Foster Auditorium.
