TUSCALOOSA, Ala.-All good things must come to an end. With mixed emotions, the good thing that was the MSU 2005 volleyball season came to an end, but sooner than the Bulldogs would have liked but later than anyone expected at the beginning of the season.
MSU’s first appearance in the post-season SEC Tournament since 1999 was a short one, as the Tennessee Lady Volunteers blanked the VolleyDawgs Friday night 3-0, in games of 30-15, 30-21 and 30-27.
“We got off to a slow start and never really got going tonight,” second-year Bulldog head coach Tina Seals said. “Tennessee played like the nationally-ranked team they are and kept us from gaining any momentum.”
The Dawgs never seemed to grasp any success in the first game, as the Vols easily ran over State to jumpstart the defeat. UT led early 7-1 before doubling up the Bulldogs 30-15, never falling behind in the opening stanza.
The Vols hit at a .577 clip in game one, while the Bulldogs hit at a -.023. UT also notched 13 kills in the opening frame.
State seemed to calm down for just a bit in game two, jumping out to a 2-0 lead on a service ace by sophomore Eva Kriegel. UT then went on a 5-0 run and never trailed again on the road to taking the second game 30-21.
The intermission was like a salve to the Bulldogs’ jitters, as MSU came out of the locker room with intensity, fighting evenly with the Vols up until the score was tied at 27. The Vols then scored three straight to knock off the Bulldogs and hold on to the shutout, taking the game 30-27 and the match 3-0.
“I thought we showed a lot of character when we fought back to take the lead in the third game,” Seals said. “Tennessee is just an experienced tournament team, and our lack of tournament experience probably contributed to our slow start.”
Mississippi State hit at a season-low .040 hitting percentage, while Tennessee hit at .307. No Bulldog hit double digits in offensive kills.
Junior Orshi Kriegel notched seven, sophomore Erin Seago six and freshman Nicole Palazzo and sophomore Jamie Joyner five each. Joyner led MSU with four blocks, while Eva Kriegel’s 10 digs was tops for State.
On her final night of MSU volleyball, senior outside hitter Rachel Cooper led the team with eight kills. Cooper was earlier named MSU’s representative to the SEC volleyball good works team.
“I have mixed emotions right now,” Cooper said after the opening-round loss. “We did lose, and nobody ever likes to lose. But also, I know it was my last volleyball game I’ll ever play, and I can’t even comprehend that right now. That’s the hardest part for me right now. We did improve a lot this season, but that’s so hard to think about because of all the other feelings I’m feeling right now.”
Over this 2005 campaign, the MSU volleyball team boasted its first winning season since 2000, set a new school record for SEC wins with six and went undefeated against in-state rivals Southern Mississippi and Ole Miss.
The Dawgs won two tournaments at the beginning of the year: the Hokie Fall Invitational at Virginia Tech and the Mariott Flyer Invitational at Dayton.
“We’ve accomplished a lot this season, and it’s been a lot of fun. We’ve come a long way since my freshman year. It’s amazing,” Cooper said. “I love this team. The sky is the limit for them. I know they’re going to work hard in the off-season and come out stronger, fired up and more determined next year. We’ve seen what we can do this year, and we’ve gotten a little taste of success, so we’ll see. We had a great year, and I’m glad I got to be a part of it.”
The Bulldogs also won several key matches against LSU and Georgia, and won their first game against Florida since 1989. MSU also periodically climbed to 66th in the national collegiate volleyball rankings composed by RichKern.com, the highest national ranking in school history.
“We’ve had a great year and met a lot of our goals,” Seals said. “We’ve had great leadership from the seniors. Our goals were making the SEC Tournament, having a decent SEC record and several other things. We achieved most of them. We have a lot to be proud of.”