ARKADELPHIA, Ark. --- Following the opening day of the Reddie-Tiger Invitational, which saw a pair of victories, the Mississippi College volleyball team closed out the Invite with a pair of setbacks to McKendree University and Henderson State University.
 
The Blue and Gold (2-2) were paced by Lydia Paulette with 24 kills while Rhaia Davey finished second on the team with 11. Caylin Pixley and Ali Wiggins helped guide the offensive effort as the duo combined for 48 assists, led by 28 from Pixley.
 
On the defensive end, Julia Sumrall collected 12 blocks over the course of the day while Davey chimed in eight. The Baton Rouge, La., native, Davey, reset her career-high in rejections with six at HSU. Samarin Kipple assisted in the defensive effort with 27 digs. The Pilot Mountain, N.C., native paced a quintet of Choctaw that registered double-digit digs on the day.
 
In the opener, the Choctaws grabbed the first six points of the opening set and held the advantage until the Bearcats responded with an 8-0 run to take a 14-11 lead midway through the set. MU maintained the margin until a block from Sumrall and Mary Grace Foster forced an 18-all deadlock. The Purple and Gold broke the tie and ran off five of the next six points to take a 23-19 lead. Foster recorded back-to-back kills to narrow the deficit to 23-21, but MU registered the next to point to close the set.
 
After falling 25-18 in the second set, MC looked to extend the contest to a four as it tussled with the Bearcats in the third frame. MC grabbed a lead midway through the set and a Paulette kill, off a feed from Wiggins, set up set-point, but the Purple and Gold responded with the next three points to clinch the contest.
 
In the final match of the Invitational, MC sought to hand the co-host Reddies their first loss of the weekend. The two teams went back-and-forth in the opening frame, as the two squads both held advantages early. The Choctaws clung to a 14-13 advantage, but witnessed the Reddies go on a 4-0 run and never look back. The Blue and Gold held off set-point with two off put-aways from Foster and Paulette, but couldn't deliver a third as Kaitlyn Steffes collected the final point.
 
The Red and Gray rode the momentum through the remainder of the match as it took the next two sets 25-14 and 25-17. MC added a highlight in the contest as it totaled nine blocks in the three setter and totaled 21 for the day.
 
Mississippi College returns to action on Friday, Sept. 20 as it travels to Montevallo, Ala., for the Peach Belt Conference-Gulf South Conference Crossover. The Choctaw are set to face the University of South Carolina at Aiken in the opening contest. First serve is at 10 a.m.
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