Southern Miss
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Mississippi State
Golden Eagle Volleyball Soars Past Mississippi State in Three
9/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 15, 2010
HATTIESBSURG, Miss. - Redshirt junior Ashley Mell pounded down a match-high 19 kills and sophomore Halie Ecker chipped in 12 in leading Southern Miss past in-state rival Mississippi 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-18).
The Golden Eagles (7-4) outhit the Bulldogs .358 to .214, while collecting 51 kills, 45 digs, 47 assists, five aces and 5.0 team blocks. Ecker led the team with 12 digs, recording her second double-double this season. State (8-3) finished the match with 35 kills, 37 digs and 3.0 team blocks. Chanelle Baker tallied 13 kills and Caitlin Rance had 11 for the Bulldogs.
In the first set, State popped out to a 4-1 lead on three kills and an ace. Southern Miss fired back behind Mell's back-to-back kills and a State error to get within 5-4. MSU Rance put the Bulldogs up 6-4 on a kill, but Mell's two kills and Amelia Hendrickson kill put the Eagles up 7-6 for the first time. MSU answered with two kills and a USM miscue for a 9-7 lead. The Bulldogs were able to maintain a two-point advantage for much of the set until Southern Miss used Eagles battled to a 15-15 tied. After State took a 16-15 lead on a block, Southern Miss got a kill each from Ecker, Lauren Sears and Lauren Broom to take an 18-16 lead, forcing MSU to take a timeout. Following the timeout, the Eagles got another point off a Bulldog error for a 19-16 lead. Baker then ended the USM 5-1 run with a kill to cut the lead to 19-17. From there, Southern Miss got two more points and forced MSU to take its final timeout, but the Eagles ended the set with a 4-1 run for the 25-18 win.
Set two started with a Bulldog kill before Ecker tied the set at 1-1 on a kill. Following a MSU error and Elizabeth Rinaudo ace, the Eagles went up 3-1. Southern Miss stretched its lead to 5-2, but Mississippi State battled back and took a 7-6 lead. Back-to-back kills by Mell and two MSU errors put the Eagles up 10-7. The teams traded kills before Mell put down a kill and recorded an ace to push the USM lead to 12-8. Southern Miss maintained its four point advantage for much of the set. With a 16-13 lead, Southern Miss used a 6-0 run that forced MSU into its second time. Following the timeout, USM went on to take the second set, 25-16.
The third set almost mirrored the first set with State jumping out to a 4-2 lead before the Eagles took their first lead at 7-6. Both teams traded kills and errors before tying the set at 12-12. Southern Miss eventually built a 19-15 lead behind four different players collecting six kills. State used a timeout but it didn't slow the Eagles as USM led 21-17. After State burned its final timeout, the Eagles ended the set on two kills apiece by Mell and Broom.
Southern Miss returns to the court next week as the Golden Eagles open Conference USA play against C-USA tournament champions Rice on Friday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m.
