Volleyball Returns Home To Host South Carolina On Friday

Friday, November 4

Starkville

7:00 PM

Mississippi State

South Carolina

Payton Harris currently stands third on MSU's career digs list with 1,454 through three years.

Volleyball Returns Home To Host South Carolina On Friday

November 03, 2016 | Volleyball

MSU Match Notes SEC Network +Live Stats

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Looking to bounce back from a rough week on the road, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-13, 4-7 SEC) welcome the South Carolina Gamecocks (15-7, 3-7 SEC) to Newell-Grissom on Friday to open up a two-match home stand.

First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. CT, with Bart Gregory and former Bulldog Amber Gass on the call for the SEC Network + broadcast. Fans can access the match online at WatchESPN.com or on their phone/tablet through the ESPN app.

Friday will be 2000's Night at The Griss, as well as Bully's Kids Club Day, as inflatables will be available outside Newell-Grissom prior to first serve. Fans can also take part in the Dog Bone Claim, as dog bones will be placed throughout campus Friday morning that fans can find and turn in at the match for select prizes.

"As always, we're glad to get back home and in front of our fans at The Griss," MSU coach David McFatrich said. "We struggled last week, but that's behind us and we're ready to get back on track and what better place to do it than at home? Our girls are ready to get back on the court and back in the win column as well."

State has a chance to even the series in Starkville against South Carolina with a win on Friday, which would move the record to 9-9. It would mark the only SEC opponent that MSU holds a .500 or better record against at home.

A victory would also put State's home win total at 10 on the season, which would tie last year and 2006 for the most home wins in program history. The Maroon and White have never before earned back-to-back seasons with at least 10 home wins.

Looking to make that win happen will be the trio of Evie Grace Singleton, Emily Hill and Jazmyne Johnson. The senior-freshman combo of Singleton and Hill have led the Bulldog offense throughout the 2016 season, topping the team with 382 and 282 kills, respectively. Singleton's 382 stands third in the SEC, while Hill's total is second amongst all SEC freshmen.

Singleton has also been a star from the service line, totaling an SEC-best 43 aces, which stands 11^th in the nation.

Johnson has been the key to State's defensive success in 2016, as her 109 total blocks lead the team and stand third in the conference. Her total blocks are the most by a Bulldog since Ashley Newsome recorded 137 in the 2010 season.

Two major keys for the Dogs on Friday will be in their attacking play and the outcome of the first set. State is undefeated this year when hitting a better clip than its opponents, while standing 1-13 when hitting worse. They are also 10-4 when capturing the opening frame, but just 2-9 when dropping the first set.

"We know we'll have to be strong out of the gate against a tough South Carolina team, but we'll also have to keep our foot on the pedal throughout the entire match," McFatrich said. "We have to play aggressive from the start, but at the same time have to be mindful and not make as many errors as we have been. Most of all, we just have to play Bulldog Volleyball and the rest will take care of itself."

The Bulldogs close out the weekend at home with a tough challenge in the sixth-ranked Florida Gators (20-2, 10-1 SEC). First serve is set for noon CT at The Griss, with the match being broadcast on SEC Network +.

Match Day Info…

Friday, Nov. 4
Mississippi State (12-13, 4-7 SEC) vs. South Carolina (15-7, 3-7 SEC) – 7 p.m. CT
SEC Network + (Bart Gregory & Amber Gass)
Starkville, Miss.
Newell-Grissom Building

Last Time Out…
It was a rough week to say the least for the Bulldogs. State dropped a 3-1 decision at Arkansas on Wednesday after capturing the opening set. The Dogs then went on to fall in a tough three-set battle at Missouri on Sunday.

Wednesday, Oct. 26
Arkansas def. Mississippi State, 3-1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-23, 27-25)

Sunday, Oct. 30
Missouri def. Mississippi State, 3-0 (25-11, 25-20, 25-19)

Leading The Bulldogs…

Kills: Evie Grace Singleton, 382
Assists: Blossom Sato, 695
Aces: Evie Grace Singleton, 42
Digs: Cheyenne Spell, 289
Blocks: Jazmyne Johnson, 105
Points: Evie Grace Singleton, 442.5

A Bulldog Win Would…

Tie the overall series in Starkville at 9-9, the only .500 or better record against an SEC opponents at home for MSU
Be the 10th home victory in the 2016 season, tying the school record (2006, 2015)
Mark the first back-to-back 10-plus win seasons at home in school history
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: South Carolina leads, 31-12
In Starkville: South Carolina leads, 9-8
Last Meeting: South Carolina def. Mississippi State, 3-0 (Nov. 20, 2015 in Columbia)
Current Streak: South Carolina, +1

Scouting The Missouri Tigers…
South Carolina is looking to grab its second win in the last three matches, having split last weekend (3-1 W vs. LSU, 0-3 L vs. Texas A&M). USC is 15-7 this year (3-4 on the road) with a 3-7 record in conference play.

Mikayla Shields tops USC with 226 kills, while Aubrey Ezell is the team leader with 470 assists and 32 aces. Megan Kirkland tops the team with 251 digs, while Alicia Starr is the leader in the clubhouse with 71 total blocks.

MSU Aims To Get Back In Win Column Against USC ...
Mississippi State is looking to bounce back from a two-match skid when they take on South Carolina on Friday. A win would be the third in the last four meetings in Starkville against the Gamecocks and would draw the overall series at MSU to an even 9-9. State does not hold a .500 or winning record at home against any current SEC program entering Friday.

Magic Number Down To Five ...
The countdown to a second-straight winning season is on for State. MSU's magic number is down to five after Sunday's win against Tennessee, which would put the Dogs at 17 wins for the year. It would mark the second-straight winning season for just the third time in school history and first since 2005-06.

Eight more wins would put MSU at 20 wins on the year, the first time that feat has been accomplished since 1989. It would also be just the fourth time in program history the Dogs have won 20 matches.

Moving Up The SEC Wins Chart…
A successful weekend could mean big things for the Bulldogs in terms of their history of wins in the SEC. One victory would move MSU to five conference wins on the year, tying for sixth on MSU's SEC wins chart. A weekend sweep would move State's total to six, tying last year's total and also tying for fourth-most in school history.

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 1-13 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 10-4 when capturing the first set, but when 2-9 when unable to do so. Winning the first two sets almost assures the Bulldogs of victory, as they are 8-1 this year when doing so.

Singleton Continues Impressive Senior Campaign…
Evie Grace Singleton has been the Bulldogs' offensive leader since the get-go this season. After last week, she continued to dominate on the stat sheets, starting with a team-high 43 aces, which tops the SEC and stands 11th in the nation. Singleton is also second in the conference and Top 30 in the NCAA in total points (442.5), total attacks (1,065) and total kills (382).

Johnson's Domination On The Block Continues…
Leading the way for MSU's impressive blocking game is senior Jazmyne Johnson, who has totaled 109 total blocks. Johnson is the first Bulldog since Lainey Wyman in 2011 to reach the 100 mark in a season, while her 109 total denials are the most since Ashley Newsome recorded 137 in 2010.

Johnson's blocking prowess also has her close to etching her name in the Bulldog record books. She now stands just 4 blocks away from tying for 10^th place on the MSU single-season blocks 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 695 assists and a 7.32 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. After earning 10 on Sunday, Sato moved past Patty Hepler (1985-86) and now stands seventh with 1,567 career assists. Next on the list at sixth place: Paris Perret (2010-12) with 2,578.

Hill Making Moves In The MSU Freshman Record Book…
Emily Hill continues to impress in her freshman season. Hill's 282 kills are currently second amongst freshmen in the SEC and tied for fifth in the MSU freshman history books. Her 753 total attacks are also tied for fifth, moving up two spots on the MSU freshman list.

Other Bulldogs In The Record Books…
Payton Harris remains at third on the MSU career digs list with 1,454. She made the move into third place last Wednesday, passing Kayla Woodard (2007-10) after tallying 17 digs at Arkansas. She stands 110 away from tying Megan Lukasek (2004-07) for second place and 253 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 371 assists, standing firm at sixth on the MSU freshman assists list. The Melissa, Texas native is just 148 assists away from Tiffany Schneider (1988), who holds fifth place with 519 assists in her first season with the Maroon and White.

Live Broadcast…
Friday'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 vs. South Carolina SEC Network + Broadcast

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

Mississippi State vs. South Carolina Live Stats

Admission…
Fans get into all home Mississippi State volleyball matches at Newell-Grissom for free during the 2016 season.

Promotions…

2000's Night at The Griss
Dog Bone Claim – Students and fans are encouraged to search the MSU campus on Friday for hidden dog bones and bring them to Friday night's match to claim a number of prizes, including Mississippi State volleyball gear!
Bully's Kids Club Night – Large inflatables will be outside of Newell-Grissom for fans before the start of the match
It's prize pick-up night and DOUBLE reward points for Hail State Rewards members Friday night at The Griss
MSU cheer, the Famous Maroon Band and Bully will all be in attendance for Friday night's match

Up Next…
MSU closes out the weekend by hosting the No. 6 Florida Gators (21-2, 11-1 SEC) on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 12 p.m. CT. Fans unable to make it out to The Griss for National Nacho Day can catch all the action on SEC Network + through WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.

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."