VALDOSTA, Ga. --- The Mississippi College volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to start the second half of Gulf South Conference play. MC moves to 8-11 in the conference and 1-10 in the league. VSU improves to 8-10, 6-5 in league play.
 
A pair of Lady Choctaws posted double figures in the setback while Bailee Berringer totaled a double-double with 21 assists and 13 digs. Jenna Campbell paced the Navy and Gold with 14 kills while Krista Zieschang added 12, including four in the final set.
 
"Although we didn't come out with a win, tonight was a turning point for us. We have finally accepted that teams are going to get good points and that we can respond with just as good of kills, digs, and blocks," said head coach Julie Redus. "We finally got physical when it came to our back row defense and picked up some really good balls."
 
Sydney Chandler led the squad as she dished out 23 assists. Madison Kimes led a trio of Lady Choctaws with 18 digs while Shelby Grace Mays added 16.
 
MC pushed the Red and Black to the limit in the first two sets, including extending the first set to 26-24, and falling 25-21. Campbell and Zieschang posted six kills each to lead the team through the first two sets.
 
MC jumped out early in the third set and pressed the Blazers to burn both of their timeouts during the set at 11-8 and 20-15. VSU rallied in the set to clip the lead to 24-22 behind a 7-4 run and forcing the Navy and Gold into a timeout. MC finished the set with a .333 attack clip in the set. Campbell led the team with five kills in the set.
 
The two squads exchanged blows in the first set seeing five ties after VSU held an 11-9 advantage. The final deadlock came at 24-all on a Biglow kill, but a pair of miscues placed the Navy and Gold on the wrong side of the set. The Lady Choctaws staved off set-point five times during the second set after trailing 20-15 in the match. MC garnered kills from Campbell and Kayana Mitchell, a Chandler ace and capitalized on two VSU errors down the stretch to extend the set.
 
VSU led early in the final set en route to a 25-15 match-clinching win.
 
"Opposite hitters Ashton King and Jenna are always good at finding the floor. Our middle hitters, Jamila (Biglow) and Kayana also were able to find seams and splits and exploit those tonight," Redus said. "We also served super tough. We put them under pressure in serve receive and we got a lot of good points from that. We just need a "W" in the column now. We just need patience."

King finished with eight kills while Biglow led the team with three blocks.
 
Mississippi College returns to action on Friday, Oct. 14 as it faces Florida Tech and Embry-Riddle in the first day of the South Region Crossover. Match time against FIT is set for 11:15 a.m. central followed by a 6 p.m. contest vs. ERAU.