AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - Auburn volleyball extended its perfect record to 14-0 after defeating Mississippi State in five sets (19-25, 25-18, 23-25, 25-16, 15-7).
Auburn set a program record with the best start in SEC play at 3-0.
Akasha Anderson led the team in kills with 26; Anderson also tallied two blocks and two aces en route to her 29.5-point performance.
Mississippi State raced to win the first set off of an incredible .367 hitting percentage.
Auburn and the crowd came out in the second half to even the match up at 1-1. Auburn's defense on the net blocked six shots by the Bulldogs, with Jackie Barrett carrying a load of the blocks.
Barrett stuffed the stat sheet with her third double-double of the season with 47 assists and 12 digs.
The Bulldogs' attack slowed down after the first set and settled at a lowly .139 hitting percentage compared to Auburn's .227.
Auburn controlled the momentum from the second set on, but Mississippi State made crucial plays late in the third set to squeak out the win in the set.
Auburn freshmen continued to dominate and contributed 60.5 points out of the 77 points the Tigers scored.
Auburn leaped to a big lead in the fifth set with a perfectly timed 10-2 run to take the life out of the Bulldogs and finish the game for the 14th win of the year.
Next week, Auburn will travel to Baton Rouge for a midweek matchup against the LSU Tigers on Wednesday, October 5, at 7 pm CT.
