Friday, September 20
Starkville
5:00 PM
Mississippi State
11-1
3
vs
2
UAB
8-5
1
2
3
4
5
F
UAB
25
19
25
16
11
2
Mississippi St.
17
25
22
25
15
3
Photo by: Blake Williams/MSU Athletics
State Completes 11-1 Non-Conference Schedule with Five-Set Win
September 20, 2019 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State volleyball went to five sets again, and Mississippi State volleyball won again.
Down 1-0 and 2-1 in the match, MSU fought back to capture a 3-2 win over UAB in the Hail State Invitational finale Friday (Sept. 20) at the Newell-Grissom Building in Starkville. State clinched a sweep of the tournament to improve to 11-1 going into SEC play next week.
The five-set win came after MSU's Thursday victory over North Florida in as many frames.
State was led by another great attacking performance from sophomore Gabby Waden as well as three double-doubles, coming from senior Alleah Stamatis (43 assists, 14 digs), sophomore Paige Shaw (11 kills, 13 digs) and freshman Callie Minshew (10 kills, 16 digs).
"I cannot say enough about this team's fight," MSU volleyball head coach Julie Darty said. "I am so proud of these kids. The way that they responded was special.
"It was a total slugfest on defense, but we just figured out that if we can slow them down at the net, get positive block touches, convert those into good transition opportunities and swings to get points, then we would be in a much better place. We picked up our serve and pass game, and that helps us be who we need to be."
Waden's Hail State Invitational MVP week ended with a 14-kill performance as the sophomore hit .367 against UAB. Over the three matches, Waden collected 48 kills (3.69 kill/set) and an efficient .429 hitting percentage.
"If we can continue to pass the ball and get her swings like that, we will be hard to beat," Darty said.
Stamatis and junior Kanani Price also earned all-tournament honors.
Stamatis collected a double-double for the second time this week on Friday, tallying 43 assists and 14 digs. She currently leads the SEC with seven double-doubles on the season.
Price led the team with 47 digs in Hail State Invite play. Price came up big against UAB, replacing freshman Makenzie Jordan in the libero spot after three sets of play.
"Kanani was huge stepping into that libero jersey and picking up all the tips and other things that we felt like we were getting beat on," Darty said. "Makenzie was on the end of the bench just cheering her face off for her friend, and I think that the support and the love this team has is special. It's all about that chemistry.
"We just find ways to win because they trust each other, and they trust their coaches. The effort and the execution are there, and I am so proud that we finished the non-conference slate at 11-1. That is huge for this team."
First Set (UAB 25, Mississippi State 17)
A back and forth set through a majority of play ended with an eight-point run for the Blazers. Shaw had four of her ten kills in the opening set.
Second Set (Mississippi State 25, UAB 19)
A 5-0 run made it 15-6, Mississippi State, and the Bulldogs ran with that to tie the match at one set apiece. The Blazers never got within five points of tying after that point. Sophomore Deja Robinson had the hot hand in the second set, killing four balls on six attempts without error.
Third Set (UAB 25, Mississippi State 22)
State came back from a 10-5 deficit to eventually lead 17-14 after a five-point run, but the Blazers stormed back late in the set. A rare attack error from Waden resulted in a 23-20 advantage for UAB, before MSU got within one on a kill from Waden. It wasn't enough, as the Blazers held on to go ahead in the match once again.
Fourth Set (Mississippi State 25, UAB 16)
MSU responded with a great fourth set. Price took over at the libero spot for Jordan and dug five balls while contributing three assists. A 4-0 run gave the Bulldogs a 10-4 lead and MSU ran with it from there to tie the match with a nine-point set win.
Fifth Set (Mississippi State 15, UAB 11)
After a Waden kill made it 13-9, State, the Bulldogs had to battle the replay review. The officials overturned an attacking error on UAB after replay showed the ball touched a Bulldog on its way out of bounds. The Blazers then took the next point, cutting the MSU lead to 13-11. However, State stood tall. Literally. Seniors Amarrah Cooks and Alleah Stamatis combined for a block on the next play to set up match point, where Stamatis won a joust to secure State's 11th victory of the season.
Up Next
The Bulldogs head to Lexington, Kentucky to take on Kentucky in the SEC opener on Friday, September 27, at 6 p.m. CT. The 6-3 Wildcats come in at No. 16 in the latest AVCA coaches poll.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateVB.
Hail State Invitational
Thursday, September 19
Match One | UAB 3, North Florida 0
Match Two | Mississippi State 3, Jackson State 0
Match Three | UAB 3, Jackson State 1
Match Four | Mississippi State 3, North Florida 2
Friday, September 20
Match Five | North Florida 3, Jackson State 0
Match Six | Mississippi State 3, UAB 2
Hail State Invitational All-Tournament Team
MVP: Gabby Waden - Mississippi State
Alleah Stamatis - Mississippi State
Kanani Price - Mississippi State
Emma Mitchell - UAB
Rachel Morse - UAB
Taryn Griffey - North Florida
Jylen Whitten - Jackson State
Down 1-0 and 2-1 in the match, MSU fought back to capture a 3-2 win over UAB in the Hail State Invitational finale Friday (Sept. 20) at the Newell-Grissom Building in Starkville. State clinched a sweep of the tournament to improve to 11-1 going into SEC play next week.
The five-set win came after MSU's Thursday victory over North Florida in as many frames.
State was led by another great attacking performance from sophomore Gabby Waden as well as three double-doubles, coming from senior Alleah Stamatis (43 assists, 14 digs), sophomore Paige Shaw (11 kills, 13 digs) and freshman Callie Minshew (10 kills, 16 digs).
"I cannot say enough about this team's fight," MSU volleyball head coach Julie Darty said. "I am so proud of these kids. The way that they responded was special.
"It was a total slugfest on defense, but we just figured out that if we can slow them down at the net, get positive block touches, convert those into good transition opportunities and swings to get points, then we would be in a much better place. We picked up our serve and pass game, and that helps us be who we need to be."
Waden's Hail State Invitational MVP week ended with a 14-kill performance as the sophomore hit .367 against UAB. Over the three matches, Waden collected 48 kills (3.69 kill/set) and an efficient .429 hitting percentage.
"If we can continue to pass the ball and get her swings like that, we will be hard to beat," Darty said.
Stamatis and junior Kanani Price also earned all-tournament honors.
Stamatis collected a double-double for the second time this week on Friday, tallying 43 assists and 14 digs. She currently leads the SEC with seven double-doubles on the season.
Price led the team with 47 digs in Hail State Invite play. Price came up big against UAB, replacing freshman Makenzie Jordan in the libero spot after three sets of play.
"Kanani was huge stepping into that libero jersey and picking up all the tips and other things that we felt like we were getting beat on," Darty said. "Makenzie was on the end of the bench just cheering her face off for her friend, and I think that the support and the love this team has is special. It's all about that chemistry.
"We just find ways to win because they trust each other, and they trust their coaches. The effort and the execution are there, and I am so proud that we finished the non-conference slate at 11-1. That is huge for this team."
First Set (UAB 25, Mississippi State 17)
A back and forth set through a majority of play ended with an eight-point run for the Blazers. Shaw had four of her ten kills in the opening set.
Second Set (Mississippi State 25, UAB 19)
A 5-0 run made it 15-6, Mississippi State, and the Bulldogs ran with that to tie the match at one set apiece. The Blazers never got within five points of tying after that point. Sophomore Deja Robinson had the hot hand in the second set, killing four balls on six attempts without error.
Third Set (UAB 25, Mississippi State 22)
State came back from a 10-5 deficit to eventually lead 17-14 after a five-point run, but the Blazers stormed back late in the set. A rare attack error from Waden resulted in a 23-20 advantage for UAB, before MSU got within one on a kill from Waden. It wasn't enough, as the Blazers held on to go ahead in the match once again.
Fourth Set (Mississippi State 25, UAB 16)
MSU responded with a great fourth set. Price took over at the libero spot for Jordan and dug five balls while contributing three assists. A 4-0 run gave the Bulldogs a 10-4 lead and MSU ran with it from there to tie the match with a nine-point set win.
Fifth Set (Mississippi State 15, UAB 11)
After a Waden kill made it 13-9, State, the Bulldogs had to battle the replay review. The officials overturned an attacking error on UAB after replay showed the ball touched a Bulldog on its way out of bounds. The Blazers then took the next point, cutting the MSU lead to 13-11. However, State stood tall. Literally. Seniors Amarrah Cooks and Alleah Stamatis combined for a block on the next play to set up match point, where Stamatis won a joust to secure State's 11th victory of the season.
Up Next
The Bulldogs head to Lexington, Kentucky to take on Kentucky in the SEC opener on Friday, September 27, at 6 p.m. CT. The 6-3 Wildcats come in at No. 16 in the latest AVCA coaches poll.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateVB.
Hail State Invitational
Thursday, September 19
Match One | UAB 3, North Florida 0
Match Two | Mississippi State 3, Jackson State 0
Match Three | UAB 3, Jackson State 1
Match Four | Mississippi State 3, North Florida 2
Friday, September 20
Match Five | North Florida 3, Jackson State 0
Match Six | Mississippi State 3, UAB 2
Hail State Invitational All-Tournament Team
MVP: Gabby Waden - Mississippi State
Alleah Stamatis - Mississippi State
Kanani Price - Mississippi State
Emma Mitchell - UAB
Rachel Morse - UAB
Taryn Griffey - North Florida
Jylen Whitten - Jackson State
Team Stats
UAB
MSU
Kills
50
59
Errors
19
20
Attempts
136
165
Hitting %
.228
.236
Points
60.0
78.0
Assists
59
54
Aces
6
5
Blocks
4.0
14.0
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
2
Blocks
3
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
9
Aces
1
Blocks
5
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
DS
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballMB
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