The Bulldogs almost pulled off a great comeback as they erased a two-set deficit and put away three match points in the fifth set to push the Gators back against the wall in the SEC opener, but Florida was able to hang on. It marked the first time that Mississippi State took the Gators to five sets.
This team is tough, resilient and has big energy. I love that we received some incredible performances from off the bench. They did a tremendous job of taking advantage of the touches and opportunities they got on the court tonight. Lauren Myrick stood out from the pack with 15 of her match-leading 19 kills over the final three sets and worked her way to a career-high 18 digs to corral her team-high sixth double-double of the season.
She also secured a pair of aces and converted on of reception attempts. Gabby Waden hammered home 15 kills, two digs and two blocks. The All-SEC selection has belted plus kills in six of her last nine appearances. Coulter distributed 25 assists, six digs and two aces, whereas Dean notched 22 assists, five digs and an ace. Lilly Gunter spearheaded the back row with 15 digs and two aces. Callie Minshew tacked on five kills, five digs and a block, while Francesca McBride provided a spark with three kills on seven errorless swings and a trio of rejections off the bench.
Minshew also was a flawless for on her reception attempts. As a team, Mississippi State went toe-for-toe with Florida in kills, The Bulldogs fired in 38 kills on a. Both teams also ripped seven aces for the match. We will definitely take the night to recover and prepare for round two. Lauren and Gabby carried us offensively. If we can get one more arm going tomorrow, I think that will help us have more success. We got after it tonight. Florida got out to a advantage to begin the winner-take-all fifth frame.
Down , Waden went crosscourt and Myrick beat a defender with a back row spike to bring State within three. The Gators used a sideout on a long rally to get to match point. After a Florida hitting error, the Gators were able to escape on a Sofia Victoria kill through the MSU block attempt for the decision. The Bulldogs and Gators return to the hardwood on Friday at 6 p. CT followed by a 4 p. CT tilt for Saturday.
