Mississippi State University’s volleyball team is back in full swing. The Bulldogs start the season 4-0 after sweeping three teams in the StarkVegas Classic in Starkville over the weekend.
The StarkVegas Classic began on Friday when the Bulldogs defeated Eastern Kentucky in a three-set sweep. Senior Karli Schmidt led with 13 kills, while graduate student Alexa Fortin Goede and senior Emily Oerther combined for 44 kills and 35 assists.
The Bulldogs’ head coach Julie Darty Dennis had much to say about Schmidt’s impressive play.
“To go 13 kills with zero errors is insane,” Dennis said. “She had similar numbers against UAB, and for her to replicate that for a second match in a row is pretty special.”
The Bulldogs continued their success on the court Saturday in a victory over Northwestern State in a three-game sweep.
Schmidt once again led the match, this time with 12 kills. The Bulldogs recorded a total of 46 kills, along with 44 digs and nine blocks to secure the sweep over Northwestern State.
The Bulldogs capped off the StarkVegas Classic with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Louisiana. After being down 0-2, the Bulldogs held Louisiana to a .098 attack mark to come back and win the match in five sets.
Schmidt continued to dominate on the court, leading the match in kills for the third-straight game, recording 16 kills and three blocks. Schmidt was named an All-Tournament pick for her performance over the weekend.
Meanwhile, senior Rebecca Walk was also named as a All-Tournament pick, tallying 11 kills and six blocks over Louisiana. Sophomore Sophie Agee also recorded a double-double on Sunday, recording 11 kills and 12 digs.
Head coach Dennis expressed her satisfaction with the team’s overall performance.
“We went down 0-2 and came back to win a reverse sweep,” coach Dennis said. “I think it was great for them to feel some pressure. Their backs were against the wall, and for them to make a choice to come back and play with grit and resolve was really fun to watch. Once we turned it on, it was really clean. In the third set we had zero hitting errors and a .560 hitting percentage. I was so proud of the team.”
Up next, the Bulldogs will travel to play UCF on Friday, September 1 at 6 p.m. as part of the UCF Challenge.