Story by Shelby Hild, Athletics Communications
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Texas A&M (11-9, 4-6 SEC) fell in four sets (11-25, 25-22, 15-25, 21-25) on the road at Mississippi State (16-5, 7-2 SEC) Sunday afternoon.
Four Aggies reached double-digit kill figures, with Lauren Davis paving the way with 12. Mallory Talbert hit at a team-high .421 clip, while Camille Conner dished out 37 assists. Defensively, Macy Carrabine finished with 12 digs while Morgan Christon contributed four blocks in the outing.
Despite a pair of early kills from Christon, Mississippi State used eight-straight points to jump ahead, 11-3, before back-to-back kills from Treyaunna Rush silenced the surge. Davis and Talbert teamed up on the outside for A&M’s first block of the match, as A&M trailed 16-7. The Bulldogs continued to charge ahead, closing on a 7-2 run to grab the opening frame, 25-11.
Christon and Rush combined for three kills in the beginning points of the second, helping the Maroon & White take an early lead. Davis came alive at the midway point of the set, registering a trio of kills to give A&M its largest lead of the match, sitting at an 11-6 advantage. A pair of Aggie aces, including one from Erica Lowery, who was making her first appearance of the season, extended A&M’s cushion. The Bulldogs rattled off four-straight points to knot the set at 21-all, but Macy Carrabine delivered her second ace of the match to seal it, 25-21.
Each team exchanged blows in the third, never trailing one another by more than a point. Mississippi State used a 4-0 run to pull ahead, 12-8, forcing the Aggies to use a timeout. The run continued, as the Bulldogs drew their largest lead, sitting at an eight-point advantage. Talbert’s sixth kill halted the run, while kills from Rush and Conner spoiled set point for the Bulldogs, but Mississippi State secured the frame, 25-15.
The Bulldogs held a 15-11 advantage at the media break in the deciding set, despite a combined seven kills from Davis and Christon. Out of the timeout, Talbert, who was hitting at a team-best .471 clip, recorded her ninth kill to keep the Aggies within reach. A run pieced together by the Maroon & White forced Mississippi State to use a timeout, holding on to a slim 19-16 lead. A&M continued its fight down the stretch, as the Bulldogs fought off the Aggies to win the match with a 25-21 fourth-set victory.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M takes a break in its schedule this week, before opening the month of November at home against Auburn. Thursday (Nov. 4) has been tabbed Teacher Appreciation Night, while Friday’s contest will serve as Kid’s Night Out.