MONTEVALLO, Ala. --- Four Mississippi College players scored 10-plus kills as it completed a regular-season sweep of the University of Montevallo in a five-set thriller at Central State Bank Arena on Wednesday.Â
The Choctaws, who played in their Gulf South Conference-leading10th, five-set contest this season, secured the victory with a notable .375 hitting percentage in the fourth set.
Mary Grace Foster led her team with 16 kills on 37 attempts.
Meg Paparella followed with 14 while a pair of Baton Rouge, La., native's,
Ellie Foco and
Rhaia Davey added 10 kills each. It is the second time the Blue and Gold had a quartet of players with 10 or more kills in a match, equaling a five-setter at AUM on Oct. 25.
Reese Regner facilitated the offense, recording 29 assists.
Samarin Kipple was pivotal defensively, collecting 22 digs across five games while
Holland Williams dominated at the net with a season-high and conference-leading 11 total blocks, including two solo efforts.
Despite an early deficit of 7-1, the Blue and Gold managed to close the gap, thanks in part to kills by Davey and Foco, bringing the score to 8-5. Momentum shifted as the Choctaws, led by Foster and Paparella, executed a series of effective blocks and kills to tie the game at 11-11. MC briefly took the lead at 24-23, but Montevallo responded, eventually capturing the set with a narrow 28-26 victory.
In the second set, MC capitalized on a series of pivotal plays to secure a second-set victory. After trailing early, the Choctaws pulled even at 8-8 with a kill by Williams and maintained momentum with a service ace from
Rylie Widener to take the lead at 11-9. UM responded to tie the score at 22-all, but MC regained control with a decisive kill by Foco, leveling the score at 24-24. A Paparella kill, followed by a block by Paparella and Davey, sealed the set with a 26-24 win.
In the third set, the Choctaws took an initial lead with consecutive kills by Foco, both assisted by
Sophia Saxon, putting them ahead 2-0. However, Montevallo responded and the score remained tight with frequent exchanges of points. MC managed to tie the score at 11-all after two service aces, but the Purple and Gold pulled ahead once more. As the set progressed, MC narrowed the gap with key plays, including a kill by Davey and later by Foster, bringing the score to 19-18. Despite their efforts, Montevallo capitalized on several attack errors from the Choctaws to close the set, winning 25-19.
MC secured a decisive victory in the fourth set, capitalizing on a series of errors by the Falcons. A crucial turning point occurred as
Rylie Widener's serving helped the Choctaws go on a dominant run, turning a 7-all deadlock into a substantial lead. Widener contributed a service ace and forced multiple attack errors from Montevallo, leading to a 16-7 advantage. Foster and Foco also played pivotal roles, each recording multiple kills throughout the set, closing the set 25-15.
Mississippi College commenced the fifth set by capitalizing on Montevallo's attack errors, quickly securing a 2-0 lead. After a brief equalizing run, the Choctaws surged ahead with contributions from Davey and Foster, extending their advantage to 5-2. Key blocks and kills by Foster and Davey, assisted by Saxon, maintained their momentum. Despite Montevallo's attempts to close the gap, MC's consistent offensive plays, including a notable kill by Williams, kept them in the lead. As Montevallo inched closer at 13-12, the Blue and Gold responded decisively with kills from Paparella and Green, sealing the match with a 15-12 victory.
MC continues the three-match, conference road trip on Friday, Nov. 7 as it travels to the Sunshine State. First serve at No. 21 West Florida is set for 6 p.m.
