MSU defeats Missouri on road, Dennis reaches wins milestone

COLUMBIA, Missouri – Mississippi State’s volleyball team dug deep into its toolbox to find a way to capture its fifth-straight five-set victory, extend its program-best Southeastern Conference winning streak to seven matches and amass its program-record 10th SEC victory this season as the Bulldogs turned away a pesky Missouri squad 3-2 on Saturday at the Hearnes Center.

The victory marked the 100th career win for head coach Julie Darty Dennis. It also enabled State (19-5, 10-2 SEC) to move past No. 23 Florida and back into sole possession of second place in the SEC standings.

The 19 wins are the fourth-most in program history for a single-season and most for the Bulldogs since the 1989 team posted a 20-14 record. MSU also snapped a 0-15 mark all-time versus Missouri (4-21, 1-11 SEC).

Mississippi State powered home 60 kills on a .323 hitting percentage, headed by an efficient and effective 28 kills on 54 swings with only two errors during sets two and three. The Bulldogs also worked their way to seasonhighs with 10 aces and 12 blocks.

“During that late timeout in the fifth set, we were talking about emotional control,” Dennis said. “The team that is in control of their emotions is going to be the team that wins. Gabby (Waden) went up and had that huge solo block (at 1313). That was the moment we were like we got this. We knew we had to stay dialed in. We can do this, and our belief came back. I think it’s all about the trust they have with each other. When they are out there, they play with that composure, belief, and trust. We’re an outstanding volleyball team, and we have to remember that at all times.”

State showcased its balanced attack with five players belting at least seven kills. Margaret Dean and Gabby Coulter dished out a combined 45 assists and 10 digs.

Lauren Myrick served as