LIVINGSTON, Ala. --- The Mississippi College volleyball team opened Gulf South Conference play with a 3-2 win (28-26, 23-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-8) at the University of West Alabama on Wednesday, March 3. MC improved to 3-0 on the season and 1-0 in the league. The Tigers fall to 0-3 and 0-1 in the conference.
 
A trio of Choctaws posted 12 kills in the match, including Lexie Laurendine, who recorded a triple-double in the five-setter. The junior dished out a team-best and career-high 32 assists and 15 digs.
 
Kendall Platt added a double-double on the night as she tied Laurendine with 12 kills and provided 13 digs. Lexi Richards joined Laurendine and Richards with the double-digit kill total. Levi Lennard also provided double figure assists as she finished second on the team with 16 assists.
 
Erin Davis led the defensive charge with a team-high and career-high 24 digs while Stevie Nesbit helped the defensive effort as garnered seven total blocks as the Choctaws recorded 11 team blocks in the match.
 
MC hit .210 for the night, including a .407 clip in the deciding set. West Alabama hit .136 for the match.
 
Mississippi College returns to action on Saturday, March 6 as it hosts the University of Alabama in Huntsville in GSC action. Match time is set for 1 p.m.

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Game Score: Mississippi College 3 | West Alabama 2
Date: Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Location: Livingston, Ala. | Pruitt Hall
Records: Choctaws 3-0, 1-0 GSC | Tigers 0-3, 0-1 GSC

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HOW IT HAPPENED
- Mississippi College opened the match with a 28-26 win. A nip-and-tuck contest throughout, the Choctaws took a 26-25 lead as it capitalized on a pair of UWA attack errors. The Tigers evened the set at 26-all, but the Navy and Gold rattled off the final two points behind kills from Richards and Platt.
- The Choctaws posted the first three points of the second set, but another back-and-forth set saw the two teams tied at 20-all. West Alabama closed out the set as it scored five of the final eight points.
- West Alabama took a 2-1 match lead in the third set as it led most of the way. The Choctaws tried to rally late as it posted a 5-0 run to pull within 24-23, but a Madison Fisher kill snapped the streak and ended the set in the Red and White's favor.
- UWA looked to end the match in four as it led the throughout the early part of the set, but MC tied the contest at 10-all and then went on an 11-5 run to take a commanding lead. The Tigers pulled within 21-17, but the Navy and Gold closed the set out on a 4-0 run spearheaded by Laurendine and Sloane FitzHenry with two points each.
- A tie through the first 10 points of the deciding set, MC used a 5-1 run to take a 10-6 advantage. A Laurendine ace followed by a kill doubled up the Tigers. Kills from Mikayla Touhey, Nesbit and Platt down the stretch helped ice the match.
 
INSIDE THE BOX
- The victory is the third straight for Mississippi College and the 10th in the series.
- The win gave Laurendine the sixth of her head-coaching career and third at Mississippi College.
- The five-set win is the first since the home-opener last season against Loyola (La.) University and the first GSC, five-set victory since defeating the University of West Georgia Oct. 28, 2016.
- Laurendine recorded her 10th career triple-double and first of the season.
- Platt notched her 20th career double-double and first on the campaign.
- Laurendine's previous career-best was 30 assists set at UAH on Oct. 25, 2019.
- Davis' previous dig-high was 18 set in the season-opener earlier this season against Belhaven.