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LSU volleyball (5-7, 1-2) was defeated in three sets by Mississippi State (11-4, 2-1) on Friday night at the Newell-Grissom Building. The Tigers dropped the first two sets, 25-19, 25-21, before falling in a hard-fought third set, 29-27.

The Tigers hit a season-low .095. It is the Tigers first time hitting below .100 since Oct. 17, 2020 at Texas A&M. The Bulldogs recorded more kills, 46-34, but the Tigers did win the battle in blocks, 13-8.

“We did not execute our game plan very well tonight,” said head coach Fran Flory. “We have to maintain our focus and execute better, especially in an environment like this against a good team in Mississippi State.”

Outside hitter Kylie Deberg led the way for the Tigers with ten kills and was one dig shy of a double-double.

Right side Taylor Bannister followed with eight kills, and middle blocker Whitney Forman was next with six kills and a match-high eight blocks, including one solo block.

Setter Ella Larkin notched a double-double with 20 assists and 10 digs, while libero Raigen Cianciulli led all players with 21 digs, marking the fourth consecutive match with 20 or more digs.

Mississippi State was led by middle block Gabby Waden, who had 15 kills and a hitting percentage of .433. Outside hitter Lauren Myrick posted a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs.

“Mississippi State’s toughness was tougher than our toughness tonight,” said Flory. “We have another shot tomorrow and we are excited about that and hopefully be a lot better.”

Set 1

• Three early kills and an ace from Deberg gave LSU a 6-4 lead.

• Two more kills from Foreman helped LSU’s lead increase to 10-5 before Mississippi St. went on a 7-2 run to tie the set at 12.
• The Tigers held the lead thanks to kills from Bannister, Deberg, and middle blocker Anita Anwusi, but the Bulldogs tied the game at 18 before going on a 7-1 run to take the first set, 25-19.

Set 2

• Block assists from Anwusi, Bannister, and outside hitter Ellie Echter gave the Tigers the first four points of the frame.

• The Bulldogs went on an 8-3 run to make the score 15-12 in their favor before the media timeout.
• LSU cut the lead to 16-15 after a Foreman kill, but the Bulldogs were able to finish the set by a score of 25-21.

Set 3

• Bannister opened the set with a kill and a block assist, and Echter added a kill as LSU trailed, 6-5.
• The Bulldogs took a 9-5 lead, but Bannister and Echter both tallied their second kills of the set to cut the lead in half.

• After falling behind 12-8, the Tigers fired off four straight points to tie the set at 12 and forced a Bulldog timeout.
• Following the timeout, five ties resulted in a 17-17 score line before Mississippi State rallied for three straight points. The Tigers responded with four consecutive points of their own to take the lead, 21-20.
• LSU would win three match points before eventually bowing out after a thriller with 16 ties and 6 lead changes, 29-27.

For the latest news and information on Tiger volleyball, visit www.lsusports.net/volleyball. Fans can also follow the team on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lsuvolleyball and @lsuvolleyball on Instagram and Twitter.