COLUMBUS, Miss. – For Mississippi University for Women Head Volleyball Coach Halee Hensley, Monday evening's 3-0 blanking over Tougaloo College may well be the foreshadowing that her freshman-sophomore dominated roster has turned the corner. The Owls dispatched the Bulldogs by set scores of 25-16, 25-15, 25-21, earning the first win of the 2021 season for the team and first coaching win for Hensley at the MUW helm.

"The girls played really well," Hensley said. "We held the tempo of the game for the majority of the night. We had many players play very aggressively, which allowed us to stay ahead and get ahead when needed."
 
"Aggressively" may be an understatement, as the Owls opened set one by building a 4-1 lead. The advantage ballooned to 14-3 thanks to Camryn Johnson serving eight-straight winners, sandwiched by a Tougaloo timeout. The W never looked back on its way to a nine-point set win, 25-16.
 
Set two had a similar feel, as the Owls led 4-0 before the Bulldogs managed a point. With the scoreboard at 5-2, this time it was Llayne Skinner who was serving as her team reeled off five-consecutive points, 10-2. Tougaloo never got closer than six points, as The W won set two (25-15) going away.
 
The third set proved to be a tighter battle, but with the same positive outcome for the Owls. TC led 8-5. But with Johnson serving, it was MUW once again going on a run to re-take the lead, 9-8. The W did not trail in the set until the Bulldogs went ahead, 18-16.
 
After a TC service error - and with Johnson once again with the serve - the Owls had a mini-run of their own to make it 20-18. Tougaloo caught MUW at 21-21, but service error was followed by three-consecutive The W kills to close out the set – and match – for the hosts.
 
Maggie Griggs led a balanced MUW attack with six kills. She made just one error in 15 attempts, for a respectable .333 attack average. Griggs also had two of the team's 11 aces, along with three digs.
 
Zoe Hansen and Skinner each chipped in four kills, hitting .222 and .200, respectively. Skinner had a nice all-around match with two aces, two solo blocks and a match-leading nine digs to her credit.
 
Johnson topped the Owls with nine assists, while registering four aces and three digs. Fellow setter Hannah Duran booked eight "helps" to go along with an ace and five digs.