Mizzou volleyball suffers brutal road loss at Mississippi State

Just days after a comeback victory against Ole Miss, No. 25 Mizzou volleyball dropped its match to Mississippi State, falling in four sets (25-19, 20-25, 22-25, 24-26) in Starkville to close out its road games for the season.

In a series Mizzou leads 17-4 all-time, the Tigers let their confidence get the best of them.

The Tigers started the first set with a 6-1 run, capped off by a kill from senior Jordan Iliff. Mississippi State rallied a bit, keeping it close until another Iliff kill sparked a three-point run, putting Mizzou up 15-9. The Bulldogs continued to fight, refusing to let the Tigers build too large a lead. A 3-0 run later in the set cut the gap to four, with MSU trailing 19-15, but it wasn’t enough. A kill from graduate Colleen Finney sealed the set 25-19 for Mizzou, which would go on to be their only set win of the night.

This is where things changed for Mizzou. Although the Bulldogs had kept the first set close, they began to take control of the match, seemingly figuring out how to beat the Tigers.

The second set started off even, with neither team jumping ahead immediately. That changed when a kill from Mississippi State sparked a 9-2 run, putting them up 12-5. Mizzou scored once on a Bulldog error, but that was all they managed before another 7-2 run extended MSU’s lead to 19-8. The Tigers found some momentum toward the end of the set, going on a 5-1 and a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to four. However, it wasn’t enough. Down 24-20, Mississippi State sealed the set with a spike, tying the match at one set each.

The Bulldogs carried their momentum into the third set, jumping out to a 9-2 lead. The teams traded a few points before a kill from junior Regan Haith sparked a 7-0 run for the Tigers, tying the score at 12. From there, the teams went back and forth, with neither pulling ahead until a 4-0 run from Mississippi State gave them a 22-19 lead. Two more kills from Haith and a Bulldog error were all Mizzou could manage the rest of the way. A hitting error from Iliff sealed the set 25-22 for Mississippi State, giving them a 2-1 lead in the match.

Despite the Bulldogs seeming to have the hot hand, the Tigers refused to back down with their backs against the wall. The fourth set began with the teams trading points until Mississippi State pulled ahead with a seven-point run, going up 13-7. Mizzou quickly responded, closing the gap to within two. The teams continued to trade points, with the Bulldogs staying ahead, until a kill from freshman Claire Morrissey sparked a 6-1 rally, tying the set at 21.

Mississippi State moved within one point of the win, but a kill from Haith tied it at 24, bringing the match to a win-by-two situation. The Bulldogs struck first, getting a kill, and when Mizzou had a chance to tie it up, Finney’s kill attempt was called out of bounds. Mizzou head coach Dawn Sullivan challenged the call, but it was upheld, and the Tigers lost the set 26-24 and the match 3-1.

Grad-transfer Mychael Vernon led the offense for the Tigers with 15 kills, followed closely by Iliff with 14 kills and two service aces. Finney and Haith also contributed with strong performances, each finishing with over 10 kills.

On defense, the Tigers continued to show growth with each game. Junior Maya Sands led the team in digs with 21, while senior Kiaraliz Perez Catala finished a close second with 19.

This is a tough loss for the Tigers. Still ranked in the top four of the SEC, they need every win they can get. Their next match is against the top team in the conference, No. 12 Kentucky, making it an even higher-stakes game.

Their match against Kentucky will take place in Henares on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and will be available to watch on ESPN+.