The MSU volleyball Lady Bulldogs dropped their first two SEC matches of the season Friday and Saturday.MSU (5-6, 0-2) fell to its first two conference opponents in both matches by scores of 3-1.
Friday night, No. 20 Kentucky (10-2, 1-0) defeated Mississippi State by scores of 30-26, 30-27, 28-30, and 30-21.
Despite a career-high 21-kill performance by senior opposite hitter Jamie Joyner, the Bulldogs could not pull the upset.
Joyner hit .294 and also contributed with 11 digs, notching her second double-double of the season.
“Jamie has been so steady for us and has developed into our go-to player, and I’m proud of her performance tonight,” said MSU head coach Tina Seals. “Her leadership on the court means so much to this team. And it was great to see a freshman, Meaghan Schlueter come in and make a difference for us in that third game. The important thing for us is to continue to get better. We’ve got a way to go but we’re definitely seeing some things we like.”
Schlueter came off the bench in the third game to total seven kills.
MSU was able to keep each game close, losing none of them by a margin greater than nine.
“This was our best performance of the year and against an amazing team like Kentucky,” Seals said.
“We’ve been battling injuries all season, but I feel like we’re getting closer and closer to be able to finish a match.”
Both squads finished with 68 kills and 69 digs apiece.
The Bulldogs fell again at the hands of Tennessee (6-3, 1-1) Sunday.
MSU lost to the Lady Vols in games of 30-22, 26-30, 30-20, and 30-25.
Jamie Joyner once again led the Bulldogs offensively, reaching double figures in kills for the ninth time this season.
She finished the match against the Lady Vols with 19 kills, hitting at a .364 clip.
Joyner got hardly any help from the rest of the Bulldog offense, as Cristina Jucan and Eva Kriegel finished next in kills, with eight and seven, respectively.
The win was Tennessee’s 15th consecutive in its history against Mississippi State.
MSU will look for its first SEC win Wednesday at home in a 7 p.m. match against twin-state rival Alabama (5-6, 2-0).
The match is the Bulldogs’ SEC home opener.
The Tide triumphed over Tennessee and Kentucky over the weekend, defeating the two teams by scores of 3-0 and 3-2.