Friday, September 2
Little Rock, Ark.
10:00 AM
Mississippi State
3
vs
0
UT Martin
Evie Grace Singleton put together a night to remember, tallying a career-high 27 kills against Little Rock.
Singleton Shines In Homecoming As MSU Dominates Saturday
September 02, 2016 | Volleyball
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – When she entered the Jack Stephens Center two days ago, Evie Grace Singleton recalled some of her top moments from high school in that facility. Once the dust cleared on Saturday night, she may have a new memory to top them all.
Behind a career-high 27 kills, the final one coming on match point, Singleton and the Bulldogs downed Little Rock, 3-1, to finish off a Saturday sweep of play.
The Bulldogs began the day with a straight-sets victory against UT Martin before taking down the Trojans in a thrilling four-set contest. The Skyhawks never found their footing against the Dogs, as State took the match in convincing fashion, 25-13, 25-14, 25-10. Emily Hill led all players with 12 kills (.579), while five Bulldogs earned service aces. For the match, State earned 9 aces, while holding the Skyhawks to none.
State put on its best defensive performance of the year to date, holding UTM to 10 points in the third set. The previous low was 13, which they held the Skyhawks to in the first set.
Emily Hill was the Dogs' leader in kills against the Skyhawks with 12, while Blossom Sato turned in 21 assists. Payton Harris put together 17 digs, while Bali Leffall-Young and Jelena Vujcin paced State's blocking game with 4 each.
"Our play was not exactly where we wanted it to be in that first match, but we still made some excellent plays and dominated when necessary to get the win," MSU head coach David McFatrich said. "Our serving game looked vastly improved, which is a testament to the team's hard work."
MSU continued its serving prowess against Little Rock, as the Bulldogs totaled 8 for the night. Singleton once again led State from the service line with a trio of aces.
The nightcap was not without a little suspense. A back-and-forth first set ended with a late UALR rally to take a 1-0 lead, 25-23. State would come out on top in the second set, 25-20, but McFatrich and his staff wanted more from their team.
"We talked about our intensity and fearlessness," McFatrich said on the team's intermission talk. "We were happy with winning the second set, but not withour overall performance. We knew we could do better."
And do better they did. The Dogs came out like a team on a mission, led by the hot arm of Singleton. State pummeled UALR with kill after kill in the third set and put the nail in the coffin in the fourth to seal a 3-1 victory. The story of the night was Singleton, who finished off the victory with her 27th kill on match point, setting a new career high.
"It means a lot for me to play in front of so many friends and family and just to be able to come home to Little Rock," Singleton said. "My goal was to put it all on the line for my team. We knew we had to come out stronger in the third and fourth set and we did just that."
Singleton's 27 kills led all players in Friday night's match, while Hill and Vujcin turned in 14 and 10 kills against the Trojans, respectively. Sato (32 assists) and Riley Duzenack (27 assists) were all stars in the setting game, while Harris put together 21 digs.
Harris' 21 digs now has her in sole possession of fifth place on the MSU career digs list with 1,282. She stands 89 away from tying Shauna Owens for fourth place.
"I cannot say enough about how proud I am of this team for responding the way they did out of the intermission," McFatrich said. "I'm extremely proud of Evie Grace's performance, as well as the entire team. That is the true brand of Bulldog volleyball."
State will now close out the weekend with a 10 a.m. CT showdown against the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday to decide who will claim the 2016 Little Rock Invitational Championship.
Off To A Hot Start:
The Bulldogs finished 2015 on a high note and have now bested that in only the second weeked of the 2016 campaign. State's 5-1 start is the best since MSU began the 2010 season 8-1 State has now won eight of its last nine matches dating back to last season.
Premium Service For The Dogs:
Serving has been a point of emphasis for the Bulldogs during the preseason and throughout every practice. On Friday, the results started to show. State earned a total of 17 aces on the day (9 vs. UTM, 8 vs. UALR), with Evie Grace Singleton leading the way with 3 aces in each match. Singleton's 3 aces tied a season high, while Savannah Cressman set a new career high with 2 aces against UT Martin.
Singleton Shines In Return To Little Rock:
Evie Grace Singleton made the grandest of returns home on Saturday, as she tallied 27 kills, a new career high. Her 27th and final kill of the night came on match point.
Singleton also shined in the first match of the day against UT Martin, tying a season high with 3 aces.
Harris Cracks The Top Five:
Junior Payton Harris tallied 20 digs on the day, pushing her career total to 1,282. She currently holds fifth place on the MSU career digs list, passing Jennifer Shupe (1996-99). She is now 89 digs away from tying Shauna Owens (1988-91) for fourth place. Melissa Kariker (1993-96) holds the school record with 1,707.
Hill Becoming A Freshman Phenom:
She's only made six appearances on the collegiate level, but Emily Hill has made every single one of them count. The Denton, Texas native tallied 12 kills (.579%) against UT Martin and 14 kills (.429%) versus Little Rock. She has now earned double-digit kills in four of her six matches this year.
Meanwhile, her .59 attacking percentage against the Skyhawks now stands as her new career high.
Season Best For Vujcin:
It hasn't taken long for transfer junior Jelena Vujcin to adjust to the Bulldog volleyball style of play. The Becej, Serbia native pounded away 10 kills against Little Rock, setting a new season high and earning her first double-digit kill showing of the year.
Carr Has Career Day Against The Skyhawks:
Khris Carr was put into the match late against UT Martin and made the most of every second on the court. Along with setting a career high of 3 kills, Carr also earned her first-career block.
Up Next:
After picking up a pair of wins on Friday, the Bulldogs will now turn their attention to the Oklahoma Sooners, as the two squads face off in a battle for the Little Rock Invitational Championship. First serve is set for 10 a.m., from the Jack Stephens Center.
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."
Behind a career-high 27 kills, the final one coming on match point, Singleton and the Bulldogs downed Little Rock, 3-1, to finish off a Saturday sweep of play.
The Bulldogs began the day with a straight-sets victory against UT Martin before taking down the Trojans in a thrilling four-set contest. The Skyhawks never found their footing against the Dogs, as State took the match in convincing fashion, 25-13, 25-14, 25-10. Emily Hill led all players with 12 kills (.579), while five Bulldogs earned service aces. For the match, State earned 9 aces, while holding the Skyhawks to none.
State put on its best defensive performance of the year to date, holding UTM to 10 points in the third set. The previous low was 13, which they held the Skyhawks to in the first set.
Emily Hill was the Dogs' leader in kills against the Skyhawks with 12, while Blossom Sato turned in 21 assists. Payton Harris put together 17 digs, while Bali Leffall-Young and Jelena Vujcin paced State's blocking game with 4 each.
"Our play was not exactly where we wanted it to be in that first match, but we still made some excellent plays and dominated when necessary to get the win," MSU head coach David McFatrich said. "Our serving game looked vastly improved, which is a testament to the team's hard work."
MSU continued its serving prowess against Little Rock, as the Bulldogs totaled 8 for the night. Singleton once again led State from the service line with a trio of aces.
The nightcap was not without a little suspense. A back-and-forth first set ended with a late UALR rally to take a 1-0 lead, 25-23. State would come out on top in the second set, 25-20, but McFatrich and his staff wanted more from their team.
"We talked about our intensity and fearlessness," McFatrich said on the team's intermission talk. "We were happy with winning the second set, but not withour overall performance. We knew we could do better."
And do better they did. The Dogs came out like a team on a mission, led by the hot arm of Singleton. State pummeled UALR with kill after kill in the third set and put the nail in the coffin in the fourth to seal a 3-1 victory. The story of the night was Singleton, who finished off the victory with her 27th kill on match point, setting a new career high.
"It means a lot for me to play in front of so many friends and family and just to be able to come home to Little Rock," Singleton said. "My goal was to put it all on the line for my team. We knew we had to come out stronger in the third and fourth set and we did just that."
Singleton's 27 kills led all players in Friday night's match, while Hill and Vujcin turned in 14 and 10 kills against the Trojans, respectively. Sato (32 assists) and Riley Duzenack (27 assists) were all stars in the setting game, while Harris put together 21 digs.
Harris' 21 digs now has her in sole possession of fifth place on the MSU career digs list with 1,282. She stands 89 away from tying Shauna Owens for fourth place.
"I cannot say enough about how proud I am of this team for responding the way they did out of the intermission," McFatrich said. "I'm extremely proud of Evie Grace's performance, as well as the entire team. That is the true brand of Bulldog volleyball."
State will now close out the weekend with a 10 a.m. CT showdown against the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday to decide who will claim the 2016 Little Rock Invitational Championship.
Off To A Hot Start:
The Bulldogs finished 2015 on a high note and have now bested that in only the second weeked of the 2016 campaign. State's 5-1 start is the best since MSU began the 2010 season 8-1 State has now won eight of its last nine matches dating back to last season.
Premium Service For The Dogs:
Serving has been a point of emphasis for the Bulldogs during the preseason and throughout every practice. On Friday, the results started to show. State earned a total of 17 aces on the day (9 vs. UTM, 8 vs. UALR), with Evie Grace Singleton leading the way with 3 aces in each match. Singleton's 3 aces tied a season high, while Savannah Cressman set a new career high with 2 aces against UT Martin.
Singleton Shines In Return To Little Rock:
Evie Grace Singleton made the grandest of returns home on Saturday, as she tallied 27 kills, a new career high. Her 27th and final kill of the night came on match point.
Singleton also shined in the first match of the day against UT Martin, tying a season high with 3 aces.
Harris Cracks The Top Five:
Junior Payton Harris tallied 20 digs on the day, pushing her career total to 1,282. She currently holds fifth place on the MSU career digs list, passing Jennifer Shupe (1996-99). She is now 89 digs away from tying Shauna Owens (1988-91) for fourth place. Melissa Kariker (1993-96) holds the school record with 1,707.
Hill Becoming A Freshman Phenom:
She's only made six appearances on the collegiate level, but Emily Hill has made every single one of them count. The Denton, Texas native tallied 12 kills (.579%) against UT Martin and 14 kills (.429%) versus Little Rock. She has now earned double-digit kills in four of her six matches this year.
Meanwhile, her .59 attacking percentage against the Skyhawks now stands as her new career high.
Season Best For Vujcin:
It hasn't taken long for transfer junior Jelena Vujcin to adjust to the Bulldog volleyball style of play. The Becej, Serbia native pounded away 10 kills against Little Rock, setting a new season high and earning her first double-digit kill showing of the year.
Carr Has Career Day Against The Skyhawks:
Khris Carr was put into the match late against UT Martin and made the most of every second on the court. Along with setting a career high of 3 kills, Carr also earned her first-career block.
Up Next:
After picking up a pair of wins on Friday, the Bulldogs will now turn their attention to the Oklahoma Sooners, as the two squads face off in a battle for the Little Rock Invitational Championship. First serve is set for 10 a.m., from the Jack Stephens Center.
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
OH
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OPP/MB
/ VolleyballMssissippi State Volleyball vs Missouri - 11/7/21
Sunday, November 07
gabby waden interview - 11/3/21
Thursday, November 04
Shania Cromartie Post Match Interview - 10/24/21
Tuesday, October 26
Mississippi State Volleyball vs. Texas A&M - 10/24/21
Sunday, October 24