Box Score STARKVILLE, Miss.—McNeese volleyball gave Mississippi State all it could handle in a five set loss (17-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 17-19) here Sunday to conclude the first week of play.
 
After dropping the first two sets to fall behind 2-0, McNeese regrouped after intermission and evened the match by winning the next two sets, sending the match to a deciding fifth set.
 
"I'm so proud of this team," said head coach Ashleigh Fitzgerald. "They keep demonstration so much heart and commitment. Mississippi State was a really quality opponent with a lot of speed. We were able to calmly make adjustments while playing really steady in the serve-pass game. "I'm excited to go play three more top notch teams in a few days."
 
Keegan Nelms and Rebecca Korenek led the Cowgirls in kills with 14 and 12, respectively.  Nelms also ended the match with 19 digs and Bridget Justis picked up a match high 31 digs. The Cowgirls ended the match with 15 blocks and were led by Haley Schneider with five.
 
In the fifth set, McNeese (1-3) trailed 14-9 before winning the next six points, to take a 15-14 lead. Kills by Jenny D'Alessandro and Korenek brought McNeese two within one point (14-13) before errors by Miss. State gave McNeese the lead. After the Bulldogs tied the set at 15 all, McNeese missed a chance to win the match leading 17-16 but a hitting error by the Cowgirls tied it again at 17. The Bulldogs took an 18-17 lead before winning the set and the overall match on a Cowgirl error.
 
 The Cowgirls struggled to find a rhythm early on and dropped the first set 25-17. McNeese jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in the second set before the Bulldogs came back to a 4-3 lead on a service ace. With the Bulldogs leading 7-4, McNeese stayed within reach and tied the set at 13 apiece on a Nelms ace. The teams would exchanged points and the set would tied three more times before McNeese took its first lead (17-16) on a Bulldog error. Another Bulldog error extended the Cowgirl lead to 18-16. Miss. State scored the next two points to tie the set at 18 and the Cowgirls tied it at 21. State outscored McNeese 4-1 the rest of the way to take the second set 25-22.
 
McNeese avoided the straight set loss with a 25-18 win in set three to extend the match. Solid defense and blocking by the Cowgirls helped them jump out to a 7-4 lead. Four straight kills by Nelms, Hailee Showers and two by Korenek put the Cowgirls up 11-5. With McNeese leading 18-14, the Cowgirls outscored the Bulldogs 7-4 to take the third set.
 
McNeese evened the match at two sets apiece with a 25-19 fourth set victory, sending the match into a deciding fifth set. McNeese got solid blocking from Schneider and Aguilera along with kills from Showers to pull out the fourth set.
 
With the fourth set tied at 14 all, McNeese scored the next six points off blocks and kills by Showers. Two kills by Korenek gave the Cowgirls a 23-18 lead. Two hitting errors by Miss. State gave the Cowgirls the final two points they needed to win the set.
 
McNeese trailed 14-9 in the fifth set but came back to take the lead 15-14 on kills by Showers and D'Alessandro.
 
The Cowgirls had a chance to win the set and the match but with the match tied at 17 off a Nelms kill, Miss. State won the last two points to take the match.