Mississippi State rallies past Alabama in reverse sweep

Mississippi State rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat Alabama in five sets in Tuscaloosa, completing the Bulldogs’ first reverse sweep in three years.

Alabama took the first two sets, 25-15 and 25-22. Mississippi State responded with a 25-14 win in the third, then took the fourth by the same score to force a deciding set. The Bulldogs hit .588 in the fifth set and won 15-8.

McKenna Yates led Mississippi State with 19 digs, reaching 1,000 for her career, and added eight assists to tie her career high. The Bulldogs had 14 total blocks, led by Ava Anderson’s 10, including three solo blocks. Anderson’s total was the most by a Mississippi State player since Rebecca Walk had 10 in 2024.

Lindsey Mangelson led the Bulldogs with 16 kills. Bernardita Aguilar had 13 kills and 10 digs for a double-double, while Gha’Naye Whitfield-Moss recorded 12 kills and hit .300. Erin Kline led the team with 10 assists, and Cayley Hanson had 15. Five Bulldogs recorded two aces apiece: Mangelson, Aguilar, Mary Neal, Yates and Hanson. Neal also had a career-high four kills.

Mississippi State’s next scheduled match is in Knoxville, Tennessee, next Friday. The calendar listed first serve for 5:30 p.m. Central, with a broadcast on SEC Network+.

Source: Original Article