JACKSON, Tenn. --- The Mississippi College volleyball team defeated Union (Tenn.) University for the first time in program history on Saturday, March 20 with a five-set victory on the Lady Bulldogs home floor on Senior Day.
 
The win secured the Choctaws the second seed in Group A and a bye in the first round of the Gulf South Conference Spring Championship Series bracket. MC faces Lee (Tenn.) University on Saturday, March 27 inside A.E. Wood Coliseum. First serve is to be announced.
 
A trio of Choctaws logged double-digit kills in the match led by Kendall Platt with a season-high 22 on the day. It is the first 20-kill effort of the season for a Choctaw.
 
Lexie Laurendine added her second triple-double of the season as she added 14 kills, dished out a career-high 38 assists and added 12 digs to the ledger. The 14 kills are a season-high and the 30-plus assist effort is the second of the season.
 
Lexi Richards joined the two juniors with double-digit kills as she tied Laurendine with 14. Fellow sophomore Levi Lennard added 18 assists.
 
Erin Davis helped lead the defensive charge with 25 digs while Laurendine, Richards and freshman Stevie Nesbit each had a block on the day.
 
MC hit .278 in the contest while UU collected an attack percentage of .328.

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Game Score: Mississippi College 3 | Union 2
Date: Saturday, March 20, 2021
Location: Jackson, Tenn. | Fred DeLay Gymnasium
Records: Choctaws 6-1, 3-1 GSC | Bulldogs 5-1, 4-1 GSC

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HOW IT HAPPENED
- Mississippi College stood one set away from a complete sweep of the Bulldogs as it claimed the first two sets of the match. MC took a 25-22 victory in the opening set and followed with a 25-19 win in the second set.
- The Choctaws took control of the opener, 17-12, behind a 6-0 run midway through the set. UU chipped away drew within a point late at 23-22, but the Navy and Gold picked up back-to-back kills from Platt and Sloane FitzHenry to close out the set.
- MC took an early lead in the second set as it jumped out to an 8-1 advantage. Platt, Richards, Jamie Boros and Brandi Bundy each secured points during the run. The Choctaws expanded the lead to 12-4, but saw UU draw within three points late. MC responded as it closed out the set on a 5-2 run capped by a kill from FitzHenry off a feed from Laurendine.
- Union battled back and claimed the third set, 25-19, and forced a deciding set with a 25-23-win in the fourth. MC held a 22-20 advantage in the fourth, but saw UU close out with a 5-1 run as it capitalized on two MC miscues for the final two points.
- The Bulldogs used the momentum from the previous set to gain a 4-1 lead in the fifth. MC battled back and took the lead at 10-9, but saw the Red and White regain the lead at 14-11 and one point away from clinching the match. MC responded fought off the charge behind back-to-back kills from Richards to pull within a point. A Union setting error tied the contest at 14-all and Platt iced the set and match with the final two kills of the day with an assist coming from FitzHenry and Laurendine.

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INSIDE THE BOX
- With the victory, Mississippi College snapped a 10-game, losing streak to Union.
- The five-set match is the third straight between the two institutions and the fourth in the series.
- Platt's season-high performance in kills is one shy of tying her career-best of a school-record 23 set against Southern Arkansas in her freshman season.
- Lauredine's triple double is the 11th of her career while the 38 assists surpassed her previous career-best of 32 set at West Alabama earlier this season.