AUGUSTA, Ga. --- The Mississippi College volleyball team picked up its first of the season on Saturday, Sept. 16 and looked to make it two in a row before falling in five sets to host Augusta University in the final contest of the Peach Belt Conference-Gulf South Conference Crossover. MC (1-6) opened the day with a four-set victory over Georgia College and State University.
 
Caroline Chastang and Lydia Paulette led the way offensively for the Blue and Gold. Chastang finished with 40 kills over the nine sets, including a career-high 22 points in the five-set contest to end the two-day event. Paulette led the team with 20 kills in the opening contest of the day, which was one shy of matching her career-high. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native finished with 36 points for the day.
 
Ali Wiggins guided the offensive effort with 48 assists over the course of the two matches, which led the team, while Caylin Pixley supplied 39 dimes. Missy Beber provided 16 assists from her libero position to finish third on the team. The Kennesaw, Ga., product finished with 37 digs, which ranked second on the team behind Chastang with 40.
 
Sloane FitzHenry led a trio of Choctaw as a force at the net. The Houston, Texas, senior garnered six blocks in the two contests. Julia Sumrall and Paulette added five rejections each to supplement FitzHenry. Chastang and Cydney Mitchell garnered three apiece as the Choctaw unit collected 13 blocks on the day.
 
MC used a season-best .255 attack percentage to pick up the first win of the season. It marks just the second time this season the squad has posted a clip of .200 this season with the other coming in a setback against Oklahoma Baptist University in the opening weekend of the season. The Blue and Gold also notched a season-best 60 kills in the victory over the Bobcats.
 
The Choctaw picked up commanding wins in the opening two sets (25-15, 25-17) against GCSU and looked for a sweep in the first meeting between the two programs, but stumbled out of the gate in the third set. The Blue and Gold rallied to clip the deficit to 22-20 behind a 5-0 run late, but a swinging miscue halted the run and opened the door for the Bobcats to grab the final three points and clinch the set.
 
In the final set of the match, the two squads stood deadlocked at nine-all before the Choctaw rattled off nine straight points to take a commanding 18-9 advantage. GCSU attempted to rally late and send the match to a deciding set as it narrowed the lead to 22-18, but a service error left the door ajar and Paulette and FitzHenry slammed it shut with back-to-back kills to earn the first victory of the season.
 
MC looked to ride the momentum of the opening match of the day into the final match as it claimed the opening two sets with identical set scores of 25-19, but the Jaguars weren't to be outdone on their home floor as they clinched the third and fourth sets to send the contest to a deciding, fifth set.
 
The two teams were knotted at eight-all when the Sumrall gave the visitors from the Magnolia State a 9-8 advantage off an assist from Pixley, but the Jags responded with a Jazmyn Wheeler kill that forced another deadlock, but also spurred a 3-0 run to grab the home team an 11-9 advantage.
 
Paulette helped end the streak with a kill from Mary Grace Foster, but AU responded with the final four points to clinch the set and match.
 
Mississippi College returns to action on Tuesday, Sept. 19 as it opens Gulf South Conference play against Auburn University at Montgomery. First serve in A.E. Wood Coliseum is at 6 p.m.
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