Kentucky Volleyball rallies to beat Mississippi State 3-1

The 5th-ranked Kentucky Volleyball team (10-3) got off on the wrong foot Wednesday night vs. Mississippi State (12-5). The ‘Cats dropped the first set in surprising fashion after leading most of the way. But they responded by sweeping the next three to send the Bulldogs packing.

Here’s how it all went down.

First Set

The Dogs and the ‘Cats played point-for-point through much of the first set, with Kentucky holding the slight advantage. UK seemed to be putting their foot down as the set progressed and earned a 20-16 advantage before they completely fell apart.

Directly after securing their largest lead of the set, Kentucky gave it right back up and then some. Mississippi State ran off eight straight points to turn a 20-16 lead into a 24-20 deficit at game point.

Mississippi went on to win 25-21 as the home team looked completely lost in the final portion of the set.

Second Set

The second set featured a series of runs by both teams but was likewise close throughout. Mississippi State capitalized on the leftover momentum from the first and got out to a quick 6-3 lead. They held a three-point lead (or larger) until a 3-0 UK run to cut it to one.

After exchanging a few points, Kentucky propelled ahead with a 5-0 run to give them the 17-14 lead midway thru the set. MSU tied the game a couple more times before Alli Stumler buried them with a kill to give the ‘Cats the win, 25-21.

Third Set

Now this was the Kentucky Volleyball team we all got used to watching in 2020. With freshman libero Eleanor Beavin serving, Kentucky ran off 10 straight points before the Bulldogs got on the board.

However, a 5-0 run by Mississippi State sliced the lead in half. But then Kentucky responded with another run, a 5-0 spurt of their own to regain the 10-point advantage. From there, Kentucky held the lead around 10 and eventually won the set, 25-15.

Fourth Set

State hopped out to a 6-2 lead in the fourth, but Kentucky didn’t panic. A 4-0 run that included three kills from Stumler put the ‘Cats back in front, 9-7. They never relinquished the lead after that.

MSU was sticky though. They tied the game several times and kept it within one or two points for most of the set, all while swapping out their entire hitting lineup at one point.

Regardless, it was Alli Stumler again who answered the bell when Kentucky needed her most. She sent the final kill through the Memorial Coliseum floor as the ‘Cats triumphed over a respectable Mississippi State team.

Stats & Recap

Far from Kentucky’s best performance, but a performance that got the win against a pretty scrappy Mississippi State squad. They also had something I’d never seen before: a 5-foot-9 attacker, Shania Cromartie. She actually leads her team in total attacks this year despite being by far the least efficient of the bunch. She could leap like a frog, though.

Anyway, on to Kentucky. The three-headed monster of Stumler, Madi Skinner and Azhani Tealer led the way offensively, as they often have lately. Skinner wasn’t terribly efficient tonight but still finished with a team-high 15 kills. Stumler was second with 14 and has put together three strong performances in a row after starting a little slow this fall. Tealer had an impressive double-double: 12 kills and 10 blocks.

A lot of Monster Blocks for her (and for those of you who went, I can’t stand that little jingle).

Elsewhere, Eleanor Beavin led the team with 20 digs. Stumler and Skinner added 12 each and Lauren Tharp recorded 10. Pretty solid night of defense in the back row.

As a team, Kentucky hit well below their average mark at just .204%, but they held Mississippi State to .134%. Good enough to squeak out the victory, but certainly not good enough to please Craig Skinner.

Nonetheless, a solid performance all-around that ended with a win against a top-half SEC team.

Before you go, check out the highlights below: