State Closes Out 2016 Road Slate With Sunday Match At LSU

Sunday, November 13

Baton Rouge, La.

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

LSU

MSU coach David McFatrich and the Bulldogs head to Baton Rouge looking to earn win No. 13 of the year.

State Closes Out 2016 Road Slate With Sunday Match At LSU

November 12, 2016 | Volleyball

MSU Match Notes SEC Network +Live Stats

STARKVILLE, Miss. – For the final time this season, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-16, 4-10 SEC) will hit the road, heading to Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers (8-16, 3-10 SEC) on Sunday.

First serve is set for 1 p.m. CT from the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and the match will be broadcast on SEC Network +. Fans can access the match though WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.

"Like I said Friday, I'm extremely proud of this team for the fight they've shown, especially as we've battled adversity here of late," MSU coach David McFatrich said. "We still have a chance to finish with one of the best SEC seasons in Mississippi State history, we just have to lock in and play true Bulldog volleyball."

The Bulldogs have had a rough time historically in Baton Rouge, as a win would be just the fifth for MSU at LSU and the first since Oct. 1, 2004. A win would also mark back-to-back victories against the Tigers, a feat only accomplished two other times in school history. The last time State earned consecutive wins against LSU was 2003-04.

State will look to senior Evie Grace Singleton to lead the way on Sunday as she has been on a tear of late. Her 431 kills are second-most in the SEC and stand fourth on the MSU single-season list. She has also been a force from the service line, as her 45 aces lead the conference and were Top 15 in the country coming into the weekend.

On the other side, the Dogs are led by the outstanding blocking season from senior Jazmyne Johnson. After a trio of denials on Friday, Johnson moved her season total to 119, which is tied with Ashley Newsome's 2009 season for seventh in the Bulldog record books. She also moved up one spot to third in the SEC in total blocks.

Some of the major keys to success for the Maroon and White come in the form of hitting percentage and coming out strong. All but one of the Bulldogs' victories have come with out-hitting their opponents, standing 11-0 on the year. Winning the first set has also been key for the Dogs, as they are 10-5 when doing so, but 2-11 when dropping the opening frame of play.

After Sunday's afternoon showdown, the Bulldogs return home to The Griss for the final three matches of the 2016 season. MSU will host in-state rival Ole Miss to start out the final stretch of the season, with play set for 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Nov. 16. The contest will be nationally televised on the SEC Network.

Match Day Info…

Sunday, Nov. 13
Mississippi State (12-16, 4-10 SEC) at LSU (8-16, 3-10 SEC) – 1 p.m. CT
SEC Network +
Baton Rouge, La.
Pete Maravich Assembly Center

Last Time Out…
After playing five of their last six matches on the road, the Bulldogs returned home for a weekend at The Griss. Despite showing tremendous fight, State was unable to pick up a win on the weekend, falling in a five-set thriller to South Carolina before dropping a 3-0 decision to No. 6 Florida.

Friday, Nov. 11
Texas A&M def. Mississippi State, 3-0 (27-25, 29-27, 25-20)

Leading The Bulldogs…

Kills: Evie Grace Singleton, 431
Assists: Blossom Sato, 783
Aces: Evie Grace Singleton, 45
Digs: Payton Harris, 324
Blocks: Jazmyne Johnson, 119
Points: Evie Grace Singleton, 494.5

A Bulldog Win Would…

Give the Dogs their 10th victory in program history against LSU
Be their first victory in Baton Rouge since a 3-2 win on Oct. 1, 2004
Mark back-to-back wins against the Tigers for the third time in school history and first since 2003-04
Snap a four-match losing streak
Give MSU its second road SEC win of the year, tying last year for the most since earning three in 2011
Tie sixth place for most SEC wins in a season (5)
Put them four wins away from securing their second-straight winning season for the third time in school history and first since 2005-06

Series History…

Overall: LSU leads, 56-9
In Baton Rouge: LSU leads, 23-4
Last Meeting: MSU def. LSU, 3-0 (Nov. 25, 2015 in Starkville)
Current Streak: MSU, +1

Scouting The LSU Tigers…
LSU (8-16, 3-10 SEC) comes into Sunday after snapping a six-match losing streak by defeating Georgia in five sets on Friday. The win was the first at home in the 2016 season for the Tigers.

Gina Tillis tops the Tigers with 288 kills, while Anna Zwiebel leads the team with 673 assists and 20 aces. LSU's leader in digs is Cheyenne Wood with 319. Tiara Gibson paces the Tigers with 69 blocks.

MSU Aiming To Break The Baton Rouge Skid…
A win on Sunday would mark the just the fifth victory in Baton Rouge for Mississippi State and the first since Oct. 1, 2004. A sweep of the Tigers would be the first in Baton Rouge for MSU since Oct. 9, 1998 and just the third in school history.

Two other notes that a win could bring about: MSU's 10th win in the overall series against LSU and the first time winning back-to-back matches against the Tigers since 2003-04. That feat has only been accomplished two other times for the Dogs.

Magic Number Down To Four ...
MSU's magic number is down to four for a .500 finish to the 2016 season. It would mark the second-straight season finishing at .500 or better for just the third time in school history and first since 2005-06.

Moving Up The SEC Wins Chart…
A successful Sunday could mean big things for the Bulldogs in terms of their history of wins in the SEC. A victory would move the Dogs to five conference wins on the year, tying for sixth on MSU's SEC wins chart.

Winning The Attacking Battle Is Crucial ...
To say coming out on top in the hitting percentage battle is key for the Bulldogs may be an understatement. MSU is undefeated this year when out-hitting its opponent and is 1-16 when losing the attacking battle. MSU took down Tennessee in its SEC opener for its first win when losing the attacking battle, hitting .204 to the Volunteers' .278.

The First Set Is The Key ...
One early trend discovered with the 2016 Bulldogs lies within the first set. State is 10-5 when capturing the first set, but when 2-11 when unable to do so. Winning the first two sets almost assures the Bulldogs of victory, as they are 8-2 this year when doing so.

Singleton Continues One Of Best MSU Offensive Seasons…
Senior Evie Grace Singleton has put together one of the most dominant seasons in MSU volleyball history and shows no signs of slowing down. Her 431 kills stand fourth on MSU's single-season list, while her 45 aces currently lead the SEC and place 15^th in the NCAA entering the weekend.

Seven times this season, Singleton has tallied at least 20 kills in a match, with her latest coming last weekend against South Carolina. The seven matches of 20-plus kills tops her one from last year.

Johnson's Blocking Prowess Lands Her On MSU Top 10 List…
Senior Jazmyne Johnson has been a stud so far this year defensively, leading MSU's blocking presence with 119 total. She is the first Bulldog since Lainey Wyman in 2011 to record 100 total blocks in a season. Last weekend, Johnson broke into the MSU single-season Top 10 list with 7 total blocks against South Carolina and No. 6 Florida. She now stands tied with Ashley Newsome's 2009 season for seventh on the list.

Hill Making Moves In The MSU Freshman Record Book…
Emily Hill continues to impress in her freshman season. Hill's 310 kills are currently second amongst freshmen in the SEC and tied for fourth in the MSU freshman history books. Her 850 total attacks are fifth on the list.

Sato Continues Push Up MSU Record Books…
MSU's sophomore setter Blossom Sato has had a standout season, as she leads the team with 783 assists and a 7.39 per set average. She has already eclipsed the 1,000-assists mark for her career and cracked the Top 10 for career assists at MSU. Sato stands seventh with 1,655 career assists. Next on the list at sixth place: Paris Perret (2010-12) with 2,578.

Other Bulldogs In The Record Books…
Payton Harris remains at third on the MSU career digs list with 1,493. She made the move into third place after tallying 17 digs at Arkansas, passing Kayla Woodard (2007-10). She stands 87 away from tying Megan Lukasek (2004-07) for second place and 230 away from tying Melissa Kariker (1993-96) for first.

Riley Duzenack is the other rookie making moves up the MSU freshman charts. She currently has 410 assists, standing firm at sixth on the MSU freshman assists list. The Melissa, Texas native is just 109 assists away from Tiffany Schneider (1988), who holds fifth place with 519 assists in her first season with the Maroon and White. She is also tied for 10^th on MSU's freshman aces list with 24 on the year, tying Kimmy Gardiner (2013) and Sara Segar (1988).

Live Broadcast…
Sunday's match will be featured on SEC Network +. Fans can access the broadcast online through WatchESPN.com, the ESPN app or by clicking the link below.

Mississippi State at LSU SEC Network + Broadcast

Live Stats…
LSU will provide live stats for Sunday's contest. Fans can access them through the link below.

Mississippi State at LSU Live Stats

Admission…
Admission into Sunday's match at LSU is free to all fans.

Up Next…
The Bulldogs return home for the final three matches of the 2016 season, starting with their in-state rivals Ole Miss. First serve for the Wednesday, Nov. 16 matchup is set for 7 p.m. CT, with the match being nationally broadcast on the SEC Network.

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."