Sunday, October 2
Starkville
3:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
Alabama
The Bulldogs look to start 3-1 in SEC play for the first time in history on Sunday.
Dogs Take National Stage, Host Alabama In SEC Network Battle
October 01, 2016 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Looking to make its already impressive SEC start a little more historic, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (10-7, 2-1 SEC) play host to the Alabama Crimson Tide in a Sunday SEC Network clash.
MSU's first nationally-televised match of 2016 will begin at 3 p.m. CT at Newell-Grissom. Melissa Lee and Bailey Webster will have the call.
"It's always exciting when you get to showcase your program on national television and we know this is a chance to make a big statement," MSU coach David McFatrich said. "Alabama is a tough team and one of the best in the conference, but we know we're capable of beating anyone when we play true Bulldog volleyball."
State comes into Sunday's match after capturing a 3-1 victory on Friday against Auburn behind freshman Emily Hill's career-high 24 kills. The Dogs fell in the match's first set, but grinded out victories in the next three to move to 2-1 in league play, the best start since 2004.
The win also snapped a six-match losing streak to the Tigers.
Evie Grace Singleton, along with Hill and Jelena Vujcin, lead the Dogs into Sunday. Singleton is the team leader in kills (267), aces (31) and points (310.5). Hill's 202 kills are second on the team, while Vujcin's 157 are third.
Senior Jazmyne Johnson is MSU's top blocker, having posted 76 total denials on the season. Payton Harris tops MSU with 215 digs, while Blossom Sato is the team leader with 454 assists.
A win on Sunday would spell a historic start to SEC play for the Bulldogs. A 3-1 start in league play would mark as the best beginning to the SEC slate in program history.
"This is definitely a big match for our program, but within the SEC, every match is huge. These girls are ready to get back out there after a big win on Friday and go get our third conference win of the season," McFatrich said.
The Dogs will close out their three-match homestand next Friday, as the Kentucky Wildcats (10-4, 3-0 SEC) make the trip to Starkville. UK escaped with a tight 3-1 victory last weekend against the Bulldogs in Lexington.
Weekend Schedule…
Friday, Sept. 23
Mississippi State def. Auburn, 3-1 (22-25, 29-27, 25-20, 26-24)
Sunday, Sept. 25
Mississippi State vs. Alabama – 3:00 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
Leading The Bulldogs…
Kills: Evie Grace Singleton, 267
Assists: Blossom Sato, 454
Aces: Evie Grace Singleton, 31
Digs: Payton Harris, 215
Blocks: Jazmyne Johnson, 76
Points: Evie Grace Singleton, 310.5
A Bulldog Win Would…
Scouting The Alabama Crimson Tide ...
Alabama enters the weekend with a 13-3 record and standing 2-1 in the conference. AU won a 3-1 decision on Friday against Georgia and has won nine of its last 10 contests, including defeating No. 19 Texas A&M in five sets.
Krystal Rivers leads the way for Auburn with an SEC-best 351 kills, while also tallying a team-best 24 aces. Shannon Mikesky leads the team with 644 assists and Natalie Murison is tops with 213 digs. Leah Lawrence leads Alabama with 56 total blocks.
State Takes To National Stage For First Time In 2016…
Sunday's match will mark the first nationally-televised broadcast for the Bulldogs during the 2016 season. MSU and Alabama will square off on the SEC Network, the first of six national television matches this season.
MSU Looks To Make Historic Start To SEC Play…
A win on Sunday would move the Bulldogs to 3-1 in conference play, a historic mark for the Maroon and White. It would stand as the first time in program history that State has kicked off its SEC slate with a 3-1 start.
Bulldogs With Best SEC Start In Over A Decade…
Friday night's win put the Bulldogs at 2-1 to start off SEC play, which is a feat that MSU has not accomplished in over a decade. State's start to league play is the best since starting 2-1 in 2004.
Losing Streak Against The Tigers Snapped…
When taking down the Tigers, MSU accomplished more than just the best SEC start in over a decade. The win snapped a six-match losing streak against Auburn and also gave the Maroon and White its first win against AU at home since Oct. 9, 2011.
SEC Home Opener History Made Friday Night…
For the second-straight season, the Bulldogs have opened up home SEC play with a win, taking down South Carolina last year and Auburn on Friday night. The win marks the first time in program history that State has won home conference openers in back-to-back seasons.
Hill Tallies Career Night Against Auburn…
To say freshman Emily Hill had a career night is a bit of an understatement. The Denton, Texas, native tallied a career-high 24 kills, including kills that won the second and third sets for the Dogs. She also earned 11 digs to tally her third double-double of the year. Her 24 kills also stand as the most by an MSU freshman since Kimmy Gardiner tallied 27 against UAB in 2013
Social Media…
For more information on Mississippi State volleyball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateVB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
MSU's first nationally-televised match of 2016 will begin at 3 p.m. CT at Newell-Grissom. Melissa Lee and Bailey Webster will have the call.
"It's always exciting when you get to showcase your program on national television and we know this is a chance to make a big statement," MSU coach David McFatrich said. "Alabama is a tough team and one of the best in the conference, but we know we're capable of beating anyone when we play true Bulldog volleyball."
State comes into Sunday's match after capturing a 3-1 victory on Friday against Auburn behind freshman Emily Hill's career-high 24 kills. The Dogs fell in the match's first set, but grinded out victories in the next three to move to 2-1 in league play, the best start since 2004.
The win also snapped a six-match losing streak to the Tigers.
Evie Grace Singleton, along with Hill and Jelena Vujcin, lead the Dogs into Sunday. Singleton is the team leader in kills (267), aces (31) and points (310.5). Hill's 202 kills are second on the team, while Vujcin's 157 are third.
Senior Jazmyne Johnson is MSU's top blocker, having posted 76 total denials on the season. Payton Harris tops MSU with 215 digs, while Blossom Sato is the team leader with 454 assists.
A win on Sunday would spell a historic start to SEC play for the Bulldogs. A 3-1 start in league play would mark as the best beginning to the SEC slate in program history.
"This is definitely a big match for our program, but within the SEC, every match is huge. These girls are ready to get back out there after a big win on Friday and go get our third conference win of the season," McFatrich said.
The Dogs will close out their three-match homestand next Friday, as the Kentucky Wildcats (10-4, 3-0 SEC) make the trip to Starkville. UK escaped with a tight 3-1 victory last weekend against the Bulldogs in Lexington.
Weekend Schedule…
Friday, Sept. 23
Mississippi State def. Auburn, 3-1 (22-25, 29-27, 25-20, 26-24)
Sunday, Sept. 25
Mississippi State vs. Alabama – 3:00 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
Leading The Bulldogs…
Kills: Evie Grace Singleton, 267
Assists: Blossom Sato, 454
Aces: Evie Grace Singleton, 31
Digs: Payton Harris, 215
Blocks: Jazmyne Johnson, 76
Points: Evie Grace Singleton, 310.5
A Bulldog Win Would…
- Snap a five-match losing streak to Alabama (Last win on Nov. 20, 2011 in Starkville)
- Mark the first time in program history MSU has started SEC play with a 3-1 record
- Give MSU a 2-1 start to SEC play, the best since starting 2-1 in 2004
Scouting The Alabama Crimson Tide ...
Alabama enters the weekend with a 13-3 record and standing 2-1 in the conference. AU won a 3-1 decision on Friday against Georgia and has won nine of its last 10 contests, including defeating No. 19 Texas A&M in five sets.
Krystal Rivers leads the way for Auburn with an SEC-best 351 kills, while also tallying a team-best 24 aces. Shannon Mikesky leads the team with 644 assists and Natalie Murison is tops with 213 digs. Leah Lawrence leads Alabama with 56 total blocks.
State Takes To National Stage For First Time In 2016…
Sunday's match will mark the first nationally-televised broadcast for the Bulldogs during the 2016 season. MSU and Alabama will square off on the SEC Network, the first of six national television matches this season.
MSU Looks To Make Historic Start To SEC Play…
A win on Sunday would move the Bulldogs to 3-1 in conference play, a historic mark for the Maroon and White. It would stand as the first time in program history that State has kicked off its SEC slate with a 3-1 start.
Bulldogs With Best SEC Start In Over A Decade…
Friday night's win put the Bulldogs at 2-1 to start off SEC play, which is a feat that MSU has not accomplished in over a decade. State's start to league play is the best since starting 2-1 in 2004.
Losing Streak Against The Tigers Snapped…
When taking down the Tigers, MSU accomplished more than just the best SEC start in over a decade. The win snapped a six-match losing streak against Auburn and also gave the Maroon and White its first win against AU at home since Oct. 9, 2011.
SEC Home Opener History Made Friday Night…
For the second-straight season, the Bulldogs have opened up home SEC play with a win, taking down South Carolina last year and Auburn on Friday night. The win marks the first time in program history that State has won home conference openers in back-to-back seasons.
Hill Tallies Career Night Against Auburn…
To say freshman Emily Hill had a career night is a bit of an understatement. The Denton, Texas, native tallied a career-high 24 kills, including kills that won the second and third sets for the Dogs. She also earned 11 digs to tally her third double-double of the year. Her 24 kills also stand as the most by an MSU freshman since Kimmy Gardiner tallied 27 against UAB in 2013
Social Media…
For more information on Mississippi State volleyball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateVB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
Players Mentioned
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