After the first 200 fans were handed space-themed rally towels to excite the stadium, it is safe to say that the rival matchup was out of this world. The Mississippi State University Bulldogs demolished the Ole Miss Rebels with sharp spikes, tricky tips and a lot of teamwork.
These teams have faced each other 105 times in their history, and this season’s match was predicted to favor the Rebels. Fans came expectant to see what Mississippi State could do when they packed Newell Grissom with 1,043, the fifth-largest crowd in building history.
“This is by far the best volleyball we’ve played this year, and it couldn’t have come at a better time or against a better opponent. I feel like this is a pivotal moment for us,” head coach Julie Darty Dennis said. “Having 1,043 fans in here was unbelievable. They were in it the whole time and we look forward to having them back on Sunday for more volleyball.”
The fan cheering and interaction impacted the Bulldogs’ win as they took down the Rebels 3-1. The constant excitement from fans mixed with the space theme made for an exciting Wednesday night in the stadium.
The game started with the Rebels winning the first set. However, this setback motivated the Bulldogs to ramp up their energy and take the next three sets by storm.
Graduate student setter Ceci Harness shared her thoughts on the team’s resilient performance.
“Our biggest thing right now is playing hard for every point, we know that every point is so valuable.” Harness said. “We just stay in it and trust our defense and scrapped away. It was a tough first set, we had game point and we’ve been in that position before. I’m just so glad we were able to bounce back.”
Blocks from Karli Schmidt and Rebecca Walk won the game. The final set was tied 10 times between the competitors, but Mississippi State’s effort to pull through ultimately broke the tense back-and-forth scoring to capture the victory.
“Coming into this game, everyone was talking about the matchup and you could feel the tension,” Harness said. “I’m so glad we stepped into it. I’ve never had an experience like this before. I have chills thinking about it now. It was great, I’ve never had a in-state battle like this before in my career.”
Harness racked up season-high four total blocks in this matchup and collected her third double-double of the season picking up 15 digs and a 53 assists. Despite standing at just 5 feet 8 inches tall, Harness does not let her height stop her from turning heads on the court. Her teammates witness her dedication firsthand.
“People look at Ceci and say, ‘Oh, she’s short,’” sophomore middle blocker Arissa Smith said. “She has her hands pressed over, she can get blocks and was getting amazing touches and making it a lot easier for me. She set it up great so I could close and finish the goal.”
This vital matchup gave the Bulldogs a 2-5 conference record and tied up the season 8-8 record. The players gave it their all, and head coach Dennis led her team to another successful victory.
