TYLER, Texas — Mississippi College volleyball (1-3) had a mixed day at the Herrington Patriot Center during the Patriot Classic, securing a decisive 3-0 victory over Texas-Dallas (0-4) before falling to the University of Texas at Tyler (1-3) in a tight four-set match.
In the first match against Texas-Dallas, the Choctaws started strong in the first set, quickly taking control after a balanced start.
Holland Williams and
Mary Grace Foster each made key kills early, while
Meg Paparella delivered two service aces in quick succession, helping the team to a 4-1 advantage.
Emma Levingston and
Rhaia Davey contributed consistent scoring, and Paparella sealed the set with back-to-back service aces, leading Mississippi College to a 25-18 victory.
The second set saw MC maintain momentum with consecutive blocks by Foster and Williams, capitalizing on attack errors from the Comets.
Reese Regner effectively facilitated the offense, contributing assists to key kills by Paparella and Levingston, helping the Choctaws secure a 27-25 victory, highlighted by a service ace from
Felicity Pratt that closed the set.
In the third set, Mississippi College capitalized on early errors by the Comets, taking a 3-0 lead with Paparella serving. Despite service errors, MC maintained a narrow lead, with Foster's kill from Regner extending the advantage to 5-1. After a brief tie at 8-8, the Choctaws responded with a kill from Paparella and an ace by Davey to regain momentum, eventually edging Texas-Dallas 27-25 thanks to key plays by Foster and decisive blocks by Davey and Paparella.
Foster posted 11 kills on a .381 hitting percentage and added two blocks. Paparella recorded four service aces and contributed 10 digs, while Davey added seven kills and four blocks. Regner distributed 29 assists and collected nine digs. This marked the first win for the program over the Comets.
In their second match of the day against the University of Texas at Tyler, Mississippi College faced an early challenge as UTT took a 4-0 lead, including a service ace by Saige Rivera. The Choctaws responded with key plays from Williams and Foster, but the Patriots maintained control, closing the first set 25-16 despite strong efforts from Regner and Levingston.
The second set featured a series of scoring exchanges, with MC trailing 5-1. Regner played a pivotal role, contributing several key assists, and the Blue and Gold mounted a comeback to tie the game at 16-16. The set concluded dramatically, with
Ellie Foco's kill from Davey and
Meg Paparella's decisive strike securing a thrilling 27-25 victory for MC.
In the third set, MC established early momentum, taking a 3-0 lead with strong plays from Williams and Regner. However, after maintaining a narrow lead at 19-17, the Choctaws faced a surge from UT Tyler and ultimately fell 25-23 after a tense finish.
The fourth set started with MC taking an early lead thanks to a kill by Foster, assisted by Regner. Despite a service ace from Williams and key blocks by Levingston, the set remained closely contested. Mississippi College rallied from a 20-14 deficit to tie the score at 20-20, but ultimately fell short at 28-26 as the Patriots secured consecutive points to clinch the match.
Davey led Mississippi College with 15 kills and six total blocks, contributing 20.5 points overall. Williams recorded a .435 hitting percentage with 15 kills and added four total blocks to her performance.
Samarin Kipple anchored the defense with 28 digs, while Regner facilitated the offense with 28 assists and eight digs.
Looking ahead, Mississippi College's team will travel to Arkadelphia, Ark., for their next matchup against UT-Dallas. The game is set for Friday, September 12, with the first serve at 9 a.m.
