MEMPHIS, Tenn. --- The Mississippi College volleyball team rallied from two sets down to capture its fifth straight win in the series over Christian Brothers University with a 3-2, Gulf South Conference victory on Saturday, Sept. 23 inside Canale Arena.
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It is the third time on the campaign the Blue and Gold (3-7, 2-1 GSC) have gone to the deciding set as the squad stands 1-2 in five-set contests. The last time the program faced an 2-0 deficit and logged a come-from-behind win was Oct. 9, 2008 against the University of Texas at Tyler.
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With the decision, it extends the program's longest win streak against its neighbors from the Home of the Blues and garners its seventh all-time victory in the series all-time.
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A pair of Choctaw logged double figures in the kill column as
Lydia Paulette collected a team-best 16 with
Caroline Chastang at 15 kills.
Sloane FitzHenry hovered around the double-digit kill total as she finished the contest with nine putaways in the five-setter.
Caylin Pixley led the way with 23 assists – her sixth with 20-plus during her debut season.
Ali Wiggins chimed in 18 dimes.
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On the defensive front, the Blue and Gold totaled eight team blocks led by junior
Julia Sumrall and freshman
Rhaia Davey with three blocks each. It marks a season-high rejection total for Davey as he previous best was one set against Spring Hill College on Sept. 12 and matched three days later against the University of South Carolina at Aiken. Chastang paced the squad in digs with 18. It is the fourth time this season the Bay Minette, Ala., sophomore has led the team in that category.
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Following a dominating 25-15 victory in the third set to begin the rally, the Choctaw used a plus-.300 attack percentage to tie the contest at two sets each at the end of the fourth with a .324 clip. It is the seventh time this season the team has bolstered a .300 attack percentage or better.
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Standing deadlocked at 5-5 early, the Blue and Gold used a 4-0 spurt to gain an advantage behind a pair of kills from
Mary Grace Foster and Paulette. Despite never regaining the lead, the Lady Bucs pulled within a point on a couple different occasions, with the last coming at 17-16, but the Choctaw strung together six straight points to extend the margin to 23-16. Chastang , Paulette and FitzHenry each posted kills during the run as Davey delivered the final blow of the set – one of her season-high three in the contest – all coming in the fourth frame.
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In the deciding set, MC held as much as a three-point advantage on two occasions, but the Red and Black rallied to recover and knot the contest at 10-all, one of three deadlocks down the stretch in the finale frame, the last coming at 13-all. Chastang broke the stalemate with a kill off the feed from Wiggins and
Missy Beber slammed the door with a service ace – one of nine for the team and her second of the match. The nine aces are the second most for the team this season and two off matching the most (11) coming at Augusta University on Sept. 16.
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CBU (2-12, 1-2 GSC) placed three players in double-figure kills led by Calah Jackson with 15. Tia Rizvi added 41 assists. The duo also led the team in blocks with three each.
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Mississippi College returns to action inside A.E. Wood Coliseum on Tuesday, Sept. 26 as it hosts nationally-ranked University of West Florida. First serve is at 6 p.m.
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