ROME, Ga. --- The Mississippi College volleyball team recorded its 11th sweep of the season and third in Gulf South Conference play as it took down Shorter University on Saturday, Oct. 22 in the Winthrop-King Centre. The victory gave the Choctaw (20-4, 9-2 GSC) their first on the Hawks' home floor.
 
The win ran the Navy and Gold's win streak to three straight in the series with its Peach State member along with giving the team its fifth consecutive conference win.
 
Caroline Chastang led the offensive charge for MC as she totaled a team-best 10 kills in the contest. Kendall Platt added nine kills to finish second on the team. Seven Choctaw recorded at least one kill. Lexie Laurendine directed the offensive effort with 21 assists.
 
On the defensive end, the squad totaled eight team blocks while Julia Sumrall led the way with five rejections. Six players recorded with at least one block in the contest. Missy Beber led the team in digs with seven while Londyn Bakeris and Ali Wiggins each chimed in six.
 
SU jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first set and held the lead until the Choctaw knotted the set at 8-8 and then again at 9-all until it grabbed the lead on a block assist from Sumrall and Platt. A Laurendine service ace forced the Hawks into their first timeout of the set at 12-9. The Magnolia State visitors held the advantage the remainder of the set despite the Hawks cutting the deficit to within a point at 21-20. Three consecutive kills expanded the margin to 24-20. Following a SU kill to halt the run, Chastang delivered the final kill to clinch the set at 25-21.
 
MC used an 8-0 run to start the second and never looked back in the set. Capitalizing on SU mistakes, a pair of service aces from Laurendine and back-to-back blocks from the combination of Sumrall and Platt helped lead the scoring the spurt. The margin swelled to as many as 10 points in the set as MC walked away with a 25-17 set victory.
 
A seesaw affair through the first eight points in the third, MC finally gained the lead for good on a service ace from Beber. The Hawks attempted a late charge as they cut the deficit to 21-20, but three kills from Chastang along with another from Platt and a service ace from the Anaheim, Calif., native iced the match.
 
The conference sweep places the Navy and Gold in a deadlock for second place with five matches to play. The top eight programs advance to the GSC Tournament.
 
Mississippi College returns to GSC action on Tuesday, Oct. 25 as it travels to Livingston, Ala. First serve at the University of West Alabama is at 6 p.m.
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