Mississippi State Volleyball Tops Iowa 3-1 in Home Opener

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State women’s volleyball defeated Iowa 3-1 Thursday night in their home opener at the SEC Big Ten Challenge. The Bulldogs improved to 4-1 overall with the win.

Bernardita Aguilar led Mississippi State with a season-high 20 kills on a .400 hitting percentage. The junior from Buenos Aires, Argentina, also set personal bests with three service aces and 17 digs, tying her career high with 24.5 points, according to the team.

Lindsey Mangelson also played a key role, finishing with 19 kills, a season high for the sophomore from Fishers, Indiana. She added 11 digs for her second straight double-double. On the defensive side, McKenna Yates led all players with 22 digs, followed by Aguilar with 17 and Mangelson with 11.

Gha’Naye Whitfield-Moss contributed five blocks, and Noella Obi added four total blocks, including two solos. Head coach Julie Darty Dennis praised the team’s effort, highlighting libero McKenna Yates’ performance and the blockers’ success in disrupting Iowa’s offense.

The Bulldogs will face Northwestern on Friday at 6 p.m. in the final match of the challenge, which will be streamed on SEC Network+. Fans can follow updates on social media under the handle ‘HailStateVB.’

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