Mississippi Christian was defeated by Flagler 3-2 Thursday night in a five-set volleyball match at A.E. Wood Coliseum. The Choctaws finished with 12 blocks and 80 digs, hitting .114 compared to Flagler’s .112 percentage, according to school sources.
The match was tightly contested. Mississippi Christian’s biggest rally came after Flagler built a 16-10 lead, responding with five straight points to cut the deficit to 16-15. Caroline Downey contributed a kill, and Mary Grace Foster added two, as the home team fought back behind pressure from Samarin Kipple’s serve.
In the first set, Isabella Reyes’ serve helped the Choctaws take an early lead, but Flagler eventually pulled ahead. Mississippi Christian tied the set at 19-19 with a kill from Audrianna Green amid three Flagler attack errors. However, Flagler closed the set on a kill from Mar’ley Phillips to win 25-22.
The Choctaws responded in the second set, winning 25-19. They gained momentum after a late push from Flagler, moving from 20-18 to 23-18 with key plays from Meg Paparella, Downey, and Foster. Mississippi Christian maintained the lead, closing out the set on Foster’s kill and a Flagler attack error.
Flagler took the third set 25-22, overcoming an early deficit. The Choctaws built a 16-12 lead with service from Meg Paparella, but Flagler scored five straight points to take control. Cydney Mitchell answered with back-to-back kills, and Green added another, but Flagler finished strong to win the set.
The Blue and Gold dominated the fourth set, winning 25-19. They opened with a 4-0 run and extended their lead to 13-4. Green, Foster, and Aubrie Lay contributed kills and blocks as Mississippi Christian pulled away. Flagler made a late push but could not complete the rally, and the Choctaws secured the set on a Flagler attack error and a kill from Paparella.
The fifth set saw Flagler take an early 6-2 lead. Mississippi Christian fought back to 12-8 but could not complete the comeback. Flagler sealed the victory with the final two points, winning 15-9. Downey led the team with 12 kills and a .310 hitting percentage. Foster added nine kills and four solo blocks, while Kipple recorded 20 digs and seven assists. Regner contributed 19 assists, 18 digs, and two aces.
The Choctaws will host USCA on Friday, September 11, at noon in Clinton.
