'The Voice' judge John Legend tells USM grad Karen Waldrup 'You can really sing'

One contestant on Season 25 of "The Voice" who is pulling out all the stops to show she's got what it takes to win the show has Mississippi ties.

Mandeville, Louisiana, native Karen Waldrup is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, where she still has plenty of fans.

"Thank you to The University of Southern Mississippi for being behind me on NBC The Voice this season," she wrote in a Facebook post.

Waldrup had a TKO as she sang Trisha Yearwood's "Georgia Rain," after working with coach Keith Urban, getting the best of teammate Ducote Talmage, who sang Luke Combs' "She Got the Best of Me" in the Knockout round.

Waldrup took off with a running start on the show, performing Jo Dee Meesina's "Bye Bye" for her blind audition. Co-judges Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney from the duo Dan + Shay were the first to turn for Waldrup. Judge Reba McEntire also turned for Waldrup but was blocked by a jubilant Dan + Shay.

"I thought you were fantastic," judge John Legend said. "You can really sing."

Her followup performance was just as strong as she and teammate Ryan Argast tackled Dan + Shay's "Save Me The Trouble." Although both gave strong performances, the judges went with Waldrup, who had an edge over Argast.

Waldrup is a seasoned performer who calls Nashville home when she isn't touring. She is a veteran of televised music competitions, appearing on Bravo's "Platinum Hit" in 2011.

Waldrup will appear next in the live playoff performances. "The Voice" airs at 7 p.m. on Mondays on NBC.

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This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: USM graduate Karen Waldrup competes on The Voice Season 25