MOBILE, Ala. | Mississippi State used its physicality and net defense Saturday night to earn a 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-20) win over South Alabama at the Jaguar Classic held at Jaguar Gym.
South Alabama (0-2) was led offensively by
Dalayla Blackwell and
Cambria Gaier's eight kills.
Anabelle Cerny recorded her second-straight, double-double with 25 assists and a team-high 12 digs.
Sarah Gooch also had six kills and three service aces.
Mississippi State (2-0) recorded 18 block assists and eight service aces in the win over the Jaguars. Leading the attack at the net for the Bulldogs was Noella Obi who had six block assists to go along with her seven kills. Linsey Mangelson led MSU's offensive attack with 10 kills, while Bernardita Aguilar added seven kills of her own.
Quotable – head coach Jesse Ortiz
- On Mississippi State: "Mississippi State was physical and they came and took it too us. After our match last night where we matched up pretty well with Rice, I think they saw that we had some tools, and that they were going to really have to come and bring it. There were times where we saw greatness in our group, but the consistency really needs to be there. That's what I'm looking to try to make better as the coach of this team. I have to get us to be more consistent in what we're doing out there. There was a lot of grind out there tonight, and a lot of promise, but we have a ways to go, so we're going to keep our head down and keep working."
How It Happened
Set 1 – Mississippi State 25, South Alabama 19
•
KEY MOMENT: Cayley Hanson capped off a 6-0 MSU run with four-straight aces early in the set to give the Bulldogs the lead for good
• Tied 9-9 Mississippi State rattled off six-straight points, which was capped off by Hanson's four service to put the Bulldogs up 15-9 at the media time out
• The Bulldog lead grew to as much as nine (21-12) after a kill by Mangleson
• South Alabama tried to mount a late rally, pushing across four unanswered points to trim the deficit to 23-19 after a pair of MSU attack errors
• Coming out of a time out thought, MSU took the final two points to take the opening set
• Mangelson registered three kills to lead Mississippi State, while Gooch and Blackwell each had three apiece as well
Set 2 – Mississippi State 25, South Alabama 15
•
KEY MOMENT: Holding just a two-point advantage midway through the set, the Bulldogs picked up 11 of the final 14 points to close out the frame
• MSU opened the second set with the first five points, but South Alabama battled back and tied the set back up at 7-7 after kills by
Eva Dittmar and
Alexa Strandberg
• The Bulldogs stretched the lead back out to four (14-10) but cut the deficit in half two points later after a kill by Blackwell and an ace by Gooch
• From there though, Mississippi went on to close out the set on an 11-3 run to take the frame and go up 2-0 in the match
• Obi recorded a pair of kills and three block assists during the run
• Obi finished the set with five kills on seven attacks for a .714 hitting percentage
Set 3 – Mississippi State 25, South Alabama 20
•
KEY MOMENT: South Alabama looked as if it had taken a four-point lead late in the set, but MSU challenged an out call that was overturned and ignited a 6-0 Bulldog run
• Trailing 10-8, Dittmar laid out to keep the rally going and Blackwell later finished it off with a solo block
• Dittmar and Blackwell then combined on another block to tie it up (10-10), and after a MSU attack error, Gaier (kill) and Gooch (ace) then posted the next two points before a MSU attack error ended the Jaguar run to put the home team up by four (14-10)
• USA later took a 17-13 lead after an attack error, but Mississippi State challenged the out call, which was then reversed
• The call and the play proved pivotal as it ignited a run of six unanswered points by the Bulldogs
• Aguilar then posted a pair of kills to knot the set back up (16-16), before back-to-back Jaguar attack errors closed out the run to give MSU a two-point advantage (18-16) and close out the run
• Later holding a 19-18 lead, the Bulldogs gained some breathing room with a run of five-straight points and set at match point after a bad set by South Alabama
• Two points later, Olivia Stant clinched the match for the Bulldogs with her sixth kill of the night
Post-Match Notes
• The meeting marked the 18th series meeting between the two clubs
Up Next
• South Alabama will close out play at the Jaguar Classic when it takes on Georgia State at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Jag Gym.
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