CLINTON, Miss. — Mississippi Christian defeated AUM 3-0 (25-9, 25-9, 25-20) on Saturday at A.E. Wood Coliseum. The Choctaws hit .280 with 44 kills and 10 aces while holding AUM to 14 kills and a -.031 attack percentage.
The Blue and Gold built the first set around a six-point middle stretch and a seven-point finish against AUM. After AUM tied the set at 5-5, MC moved back in front on an AUM service error, a
Caroline Downey ace and a
Meg Paparella kill, reaching 8-5 before AUM got the next point. Paparella's kill made it 9-6, and
Samarin Kipple then served five straight points with an ace, kills from
Anna Grace Chason,
Cydney Mitchell and Paparella, and an AUM attack error to give the Choctaws a 14-6 lead. MC added kills from Paparella, Mitchell and
Audrianna Green to stay ahead, then, after Mitchell's kill made it 19-9, closed with six straight Mitchell service points that included two aces and kills by Paparella and Downey for a 25-9 set win.
The Choctaws seized control of the second set with a 6-0 push that turned a 7-3 edge into a 13-3 lead, fueled by
Mamie Fromdahl's five straight service points. Earlier,
Audrianna Green,
Meg Paparella and
Cydney Mitchell helped MC build the initial advantage with kills, with
Reese Regner assisting several early points. During Fromdahl's service stretch, she recorded three aces and set
Holland Williams for a kill before Paparella added another finish from Regner. The Blue and Gold kept adding separation after AUM briefly answered, getting two more kills from Williams and a Paparella kill to move ahead 17-5. A late block by Mitchell and another Mitchell kill helped close the set, and MC finished it 25-9 on an AUM service error.
MC built enough separation in the third set to withstand a late AUM push, and Chason finished the 25-20 set win with a kill from
Samarin Kipple. Earlier,
Audrianna Green opened the set with a kill from
Reese Regner and added a block on the next point, before kills by
Cydney Mitchell,
Rhaia Davey, Green and Downey helped the Choctaws move ahead 6-1. Downey later served through a stretch that included kills by
Isabella Reyes and Fromdahl plus a service ace, pushing the margin to 12-5. The Blue and Gold extended the lead to 21-10 behind a Mitchell kill and a series of AUM attack errors, then answered after AUM cut the score to 22-16 by reaching set point on another AUM error before Chason closed it out.
Cydney Mitchell finished with 10 kills, three service aces and 14 points while hitting .444.
Meg Paparella added 10 kills on a .643 attack percentage and collected six digs.
Reese Regner recorded 18 assists and 14 digs.
Samarin Kipple posted 15 digs and added six assists.
Up next, MC travels to Jackson, Tennessee, to face Union on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 6 p.m.
