Last weekend presented Mississippi State’s volleyball team with an unlikely task and a grueling dogfight. MSU came up short in both battles, falling to the No. 3 Florida Gators Friday and the Georgia Bulldogs Sunday.
Match One
Florida volleyball is the most dominant program in any Southeastern Conference sport. They have 12 straight SEC regular season titles and five straight SEC tournament championships. Two-time SEC Player of the Year Aury Cruz and the Gators swam into Starkville on an 18-match win streak. They had also won 52 games in a row.
“You get up for these games when you have nothing to lose,” said senior setter Jennifer Hadden. “Our coaches told us, ‘Go out and play your hearts out.'”
The only hope that the scrappy Bulldogs could have against the powerhouse was if Ron Zook had been named the volleyball coach, causing bouts of inconsistency against inferior teams from the Magnolia State. No such luck. Mary Wise appeared courtside and the Gators shredded the Dawgs 30-11 in the first game.
Florida tallied 11 kills and made just one error, while State made 14 errors and just five kills (-.273).
“It’s a real role reversal,” said head coach Brenda Bowlin. “One team has been hot as can be and the other team has struggled. After game 1, our girls showed a lot of character. We out-blocked them in games two and three.”
MSU got past the intimidation, regrouped and played respectably in games two and three, falling 30-22 and 30-20.
“We didn’t slack off,” said Hadden. “The first game was bad, but we didn’t give up. We worked hard in all aspects and Nicole (Broome) did a really good job with her blocking. She contained the outside well.”
Broome said Hadden’s good sets helped her tally a team-high 13 kills for the match on a .242 hitting percentage. The game had special significance for the Floridian. Across the net stood a former teammate, Sherri Williams.
“We played club together for four years,” said Broome. “It’s fun to have an old friend across the net. I kinda knew what she ran in club and her tendencies. There was a little trash talk across the net but that stays on the court. No hard feelings.”
Bowlin credited Hadden and Broome for keeping the Dawgs in the game and said that her team responded to the opportunity of playing such a skilled team.
“We talked about how great it was to have a shot to play hard against the No. 3 team in the country,” said Bowlin. “They have by far some of the best athletes in the country. They are very gifted and have four seniors who have played at the NCAA tourney.”
Match Two
The Georgia Bulldogs (13-7, 6-2) trotted into Sunday’s match with a four-game win streak and didn’t waste time attacking.
Georgia hit .459 in the first game with 19 kills and only two errors en route to a 30-17 victory.
State continued its struggles in the second game and trailed 20-9 before regrouping and tying the game at 28.
“We had moments where we would get four or five points back, but Georgia showed poise,” said Bowlin. “They have had a lot of success this year and they were able to keep control of the match.”
MSU battled through injuries and illness but couldn’t suppress Georgia. State served twice on game point but faltered both times and lost 34-32. Georgia coasted in game three to clinch the match.
“We really got beat up after the Florida match,” said Bowlin. “Hadden had a severely sprained thumb. Hilary Chambers had a sprained elbow that made blocking difficult. Tanika Taylor had a fever today. We’ve been banged up-we seem to stay banged up.”
Broome once again stood out with a 15-kill and .290 hitting performance and Rachel Cooper added 10 kills, but State didn’t have enough to counter UGA’s .337 team hitting performance.
“(Broome’s) meant a lot because we can count on her for offensive production and for blocking. Her consistency is key.”