In a nail-biting showdown in Starkville, Mississippi, Auburn couldn't complete the comeback against Mississippi State, falling to the Bulldogs in five sets 3-2. The Tigers still have yet to pull off a victory inside the Newell-Grissom Building since 2015 and have now lost their third straight conference match.
The Bulldogs capitalized on unforced errors early, establishing significant scoring runs and leaving Auburn trailing by as much as eight points. The Tigers were, however, able to narrow the gap to four points at 20-16. But, the hitting prowess of Mississippi State, with a percentage north of .300 and four aces, proved to be too much for the Tigers as it claimed the first set.
Brent Crouch’s squad continued its momentum from the end of the first set and came out swinging in the second. Akasha Anderson led the charge with five early kills. Kendal Kemp's defensive play saw her record 10 blocks, tying her season high. Anderson, with seven kills and two aces in the second frame alone, powered Auburn to a set win, evening the match at one apiece.
The match continued in its back-and-forth fashion with the Bulldogs taking the third set of the night. Mississippi State’s .300 hitting percentage meant the Tigers would need a comeback in the final two sets to secure a victory.
When Auburn's passes were on target in the fourth set of action, the hitters—Madison Scheer, Anderson, Kyla Swanson, Bella Bell and Kemp—capitalized with ease. Anderson, finishing with an impressive 22 kills and 14 digs, secured her sixth double-double of the season. Trailing 22-18 late in the set, Auburn mounted a 3-0 run to close the gap. Fallan Lanham's ace provided the Tigers with their first lead, 25-24, eventually pushing the match into a winner take all fifth set.
The final set unfolded with both the Tigers and Bulldogs exchanging blows, with Scheer, Anderson and Swanson delivering crucial kills. Scheer reached double digits in kills for the 20th time this season. A timely ace from Chelsey Harmon tied the score at 11, but a 4-1 run by Mississippi State ultimately sealed the victory for the home side, securing a 3-2 win over Auburn.
With Auburn trying to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history and the first time ever in consecutive seasons, the Tigers will travel home to take on the LSU Tigers on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 2 p.m. CST with television coverage available on the SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
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Patrick is a sophomore from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
