Friday, September 23
Knoxville, Tenn.
6:00 PM
Mississippi State
at
Tennessee
Coach McFatrich and the Bulldogs open up SEC play on Friday at Tennessee.
Dogs Head To Tennessee To Open SEC Play
September 22, 2016 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Four weekends of non-conference play are in the books and the second season begins now, as the Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-6, 0-0 SEC) open their 2016 Southeastern Conference slate on Friday against the Tennessee Volunteers (9-3, 0-0 SEC).
First serve between the Dogs and Vols is set for 6:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcasted on the SEC Network +. Fans can access the match through WatchESPN.com or the Watch ESPN app.
"We're excited to finally get into conference play," MSU second-year coach David McFatrich said. "These are going to be two tough tests this weekend, but after seeing how hard our girls have worked in practice this week, I'm confident in what we can do on the court."
The showdown is the first between the two squads in Knoxville since 2013, when MSU claimed a 3-1 victory to close out the season. The win was the first by the Bulldogs in Knoxville since… With a win Friday, MSU can claim back-to-back wins in Knoxville for the first time since 1994-95.
A victory would also give State its first win in an SEC opener since defeating Ole Miss in straight sets in 2006.
Leading the way for the Dogs is the senior tandem of Evie Grace Singleton and Jazmyne Johnson. Singleton is the leader of the Bulldogs' offense, as she paces the squad in kills (219), aces (24) and points (252.0). On the flip side, Johnson is the unquestioned leader of the MSU defense, as her 65 blocks tops the team.
State looks to the duo of sophomore Blossom Sato and freshman Riley Duzenack to lead the offense, as the two setters top the Bulldogs in assists. Sato, who has a team-high 340 assists, has tallied at least 20 assists in 11-straight matches, including a season-high 46 against FIU on Friday. Duzenack is second on the team with 275 assists and stands seventh in the MSU freshman record books for assists in a season.
The libero duties for MSU are shared between the stellar defending duo of Payton Harris and Cheyenne Spell. Harris is the team leader with 200 digs on the year and is just two digs away from tying Shauna Owens (1988-91) for fourth place on the MSU career digs list. Spell, who has started the last three matches for the Dogs at libero, is second on the team with 149 on the year. Against Eastern Illinois on Sept. 17, Spell recorded a career-high 24 digs.
"We've had a challenging non-conference schedule and I think that has our girls more than prepared for the second season," McFatrich said. "The SEC has some of the nation's best and toughest teams, so we know this isn't going to be easy. Regardless, we're excited for the challenge and I'm confident that this team will make some noise in conference play this year."
Following Friday's contest, the Bulldogs will head north to Lexington, Ky., to face the Kentucky Wildcats. Sunday's match is set for a 12:30 p.m. CT first serve and will be broadcasted on SEC Network +.
Weekend Schedule…
Friday, Sept. 23
Mississippi State at Tennessee – 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Sunday, Sept. 25
Mississippi State at Kentucky – 12:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Last Time Out…
The Bulldogs closed out non-conference play for the 2016 season last weekend, going 3-1 at home in the 2016 Maroon Classic. After a hard-fought victory against Florida International to kick off the weekend, State easily dispatched Troy and Eastern Illinois, both in straight sets. MSU was unable to capture the title, however, as Portland claimed a 3-2 victory to close out the weekend.
Friday, Sept. 16
Mississippi State def. Florida International, 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-9)
Mississippi State def.. Troy, 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-15
Saturday, Sept. 17
Mississippi State def. Eastern Illinois, 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-19)
Portland def. Mississippi State, 3-2 (23-25, 15-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-8)
Bulldogs Return To Knoxville For First Time Since 2013…
State heads to Knoxville for the first time in three years, although the Volunteers are familiar foes for the Dogs. MSU has won three of the last four contests in the series, although Tennessee won last year's meeting in Starkville, 3-2. Tennessee holds a 43-11 advantage in the series and 22-3 record in Knoxville. The Bulldogs won the last meeting in Knoxville in 2013, 3-1.
A Bulldog Win Would ...
Scouting The Tennessee Volunteers…
Tennessee enters the weekend having won its last two meetings, a pair of 3-0 victories against James Madison and George Washington. On the year, the Vols are 9-3 with a perfect 3-0 record at home.
Tessa Grubbs paces the Tennessee offense with 134 kills, while Bri Holmes follows close behind with 125. Sedona Hansen is UT's leading setter with 412 assists, while Kelsey Bawcombe leads the team with 14 aces. Bridgette Villano tops UT with 146 digs, while 40 blocks from Raina Hembry leads the Tennessee blocking presence.
Leading The Bulldogs…
Kills: Evie Grace Singleton, 219
Assists: Blossom Sato, 340
Aces: Evie Grace Singleton, 24
Digs: Payton Harris, 200
Blocks: Jazmyne Johnson, 65
Points: Evie Grace Singleton, 252.0
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 has not won a match this year when hitting worse than its opponents, but is undefeated when out-hitting its foes.
The First Set Is The Key…
One early trend discovered with the 2016 Bulldogs lies within the first set. State is 7-2 when capturing the first set, but when 1-4 when unable to do so. Winning the first two sets almost assures the Bulldogs of victory, as they are 5-1 this year when doing so.
Blocking Becoming State's Calling Card…
MSU has excelled in a number of statistical categories this season, but none have been better than the Bulldogs' blocking game. State has tallied 125.0 total blocks through the first four weekends of play. To compare, MSU had 93.0 total blocks through the first four weekends of 2015.
Singleton Joins The 1,000-Kill Club…
It's no secret that senior Evie Grace Singleton is one of the top offensive weapons in collegiate volleyball. On Friday against FIU, she added another honor to her career, joining the 1,000-Career Kills Club. The Little Rock, Ark., native entered Friday 20 kills short of reaching the milestone and eclipsed the mark with 25 against the Panthers. She is the only current Bulldog who has recorded such feat.
Spell Shines At Libero…
Last Saturday's first match was only Cheyenne Spell's second start of the season as the Bulldogs' libero, but that didn't keep her from showing out. Spell set a career high with 24 digs against EIU and turned in a similarly as solid showing with 22 against Portland.
Spell also set a career high with 3 aces against the Pilots.
Harris Closing In On Digs Record…
Junior Payton Harris now stands at 1,369 digs for her career and continues to make strides up the MSU record book. She currently holds fifth place on the school's career digs list, passing Jennifer Shupe (1996-99) three weekends ago. She is now just two digs away from tying Shauna Owens (1988-91) for fourth place. Melissa Kariker (1993-96) holds the school record with 1,707.
Live Broadcast…
Friday night's match will be broadcasted on the SEC Network +. Fans can access the broadcast through WatchESPN.com or by clicking the link below.
Mississippi State at Tennessee SECN+ Broadcast
Live Stats…
Tennessee will provide live stats for Friday night's contest. Fans can access them through the link below.
Mississippi State at Tennessee Live Stats
Admission…
General admission tickets for Friday's match are $3 each. Tickets can bought online at www.allvols.com or at the gate at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Bulldogs Close Out SEC Opening Weekend At UK…
After Friday's conference opener, the Maroon and White will turn its attention to Lexington to wrap up opening weekend. The Bulldogs and Wildcats will face off on Sunday, Sept. 25, with first serve set for 12:30 p.m. CT from Memorial Coliseum. The match will be broadcasted on 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."
First serve between the Dogs and Vols is set for 6:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcasted on the SEC Network +. Fans can access the match through WatchESPN.com or the Watch ESPN app.
"We're excited to finally get into conference play," MSU second-year coach David McFatrich said. "These are going to be two tough tests this weekend, but after seeing how hard our girls have worked in practice this week, I'm confident in what we can do on the court."
The showdown is the first between the two squads in Knoxville since 2013, when MSU claimed a 3-1 victory to close out the season. The win was the first by the Bulldogs in Knoxville since… With a win Friday, MSU can claim back-to-back wins in Knoxville for the first time since 1994-95.
A victory would also give State its first win in an SEC opener since defeating Ole Miss in straight sets in 2006.
Leading the way for the Dogs is the senior tandem of Evie Grace Singleton and Jazmyne Johnson. Singleton is the leader of the Bulldogs' offense, as she paces the squad in kills (219), aces (24) and points (252.0). On the flip side, Johnson is the unquestioned leader of the MSU defense, as her 65 blocks tops the team.
State looks to the duo of sophomore Blossom Sato and freshman Riley Duzenack to lead the offense, as the two setters top the Bulldogs in assists. Sato, who has a team-high 340 assists, has tallied at least 20 assists in 11-straight matches, including a season-high 46 against FIU on Friday. Duzenack is second on the team with 275 assists and stands seventh in the MSU freshman record books for assists in a season.
The libero duties for MSU are shared between the stellar defending duo of Payton Harris and Cheyenne Spell. Harris is the team leader with 200 digs on the year and is just two digs away from tying Shauna Owens (1988-91) for fourth place on the MSU career digs list. Spell, who has started the last three matches for the Dogs at libero, is second on the team with 149 on the year. Against Eastern Illinois on Sept. 17, Spell recorded a career-high 24 digs.
"We've had a challenging non-conference schedule and I think that has our girls more than prepared for the second season," McFatrich said. "The SEC has some of the nation's best and toughest teams, so we know this isn't going to be easy. Regardless, we're excited for the challenge and I'm confident that this team will make some noise in conference play this year."
Following Friday's contest, the Bulldogs will head north to Lexington, Ky., to face the Kentucky Wildcats. Sunday's match is set for a 12:30 p.m. CT first serve and will be broadcasted on SEC Network +.
Weekend Schedule…
Friday, Sept. 23
Mississippi State at Tennessee – 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Sunday, Sept. 25
Mississippi State at Kentucky – 12:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Last Time Out…
The Bulldogs closed out non-conference play for the 2016 season last weekend, going 3-1 at home in the 2016 Maroon Classic. After a hard-fought victory against Florida International to kick off the weekend, State easily dispatched Troy and Eastern Illinois, both in straight sets. MSU was unable to capture the title, however, as Portland claimed a 3-2 victory to close out the weekend.
Friday, Sept. 16
Mississippi State def. Florida International, 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-9)
Mississippi State def.. Troy, 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-15
Saturday, Sept. 17
Mississippi State def. Eastern Illinois, 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-19)
Portland def. Mississippi State, 3-2 (23-25, 15-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-8)
Bulldogs Return To Knoxville For First Time Since 2013…
State heads to Knoxville for the first time in three years, although the Volunteers are familiar foes for the Dogs. MSU has won three of the last four contests in the series, although Tennessee won last year's meeting in Starkville, 3-2. Tennessee holds a 43-11 advantage in the series and 22-3 record in Knoxville. The Bulldogs won the last meeting in Knoxville in 2013, 3-1.
A Bulldog Win Would ...
- Give MSU back-to-back wins in Knoxville for the first time since 1994-95
- Be State's first win in an SEC opener since beating Ole Miss 3-0 in 2006
- Be MSU's first road SEC opener win since beating South Carolina 3-0 in 2004
Scouting The Tennessee Volunteers…
Tennessee enters the weekend having won its last two meetings, a pair of 3-0 victories against James Madison and George Washington. On the year, the Vols are 9-3 with a perfect 3-0 record at home.
Tessa Grubbs paces the Tennessee offense with 134 kills, while Bri Holmes follows close behind with 125. Sedona Hansen is UT's leading setter with 412 assists, while Kelsey Bawcombe leads the team with 14 aces. Bridgette Villano tops UT with 146 digs, while 40 blocks from Raina Hembry leads the Tennessee blocking presence.
Leading The Bulldogs…
Kills: Evie Grace Singleton, 219
Assists: Blossom Sato, 340
Aces: Evie Grace Singleton, 24
Digs: Payton Harris, 200
Blocks: Jazmyne Johnson, 65
Points: Evie Grace Singleton, 252.0
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 has not won a match this year when hitting worse than its opponents, but is undefeated when out-hitting its foes.
The First Set Is The Key…
One early trend discovered with the 2016 Bulldogs lies within the first set. State is 7-2 when capturing the first set, but when 1-4 when unable to do so. Winning the first two sets almost assures the Bulldogs of victory, as they are 5-1 this year when doing so.
Blocking Becoming State's Calling Card…
MSU has excelled in a number of statistical categories this season, but none have been better than the Bulldogs' blocking game. State has tallied 125.0 total blocks through the first four weekends of play. To compare, MSU had 93.0 total blocks through the first four weekends of 2015.
Singleton Joins The 1,000-Kill Club…
It's no secret that senior Evie Grace Singleton is one of the top offensive weapons in collegiate volleyball. On Friday against FIU, she added another honor to her career, joining the 1,000-Career Kills Club. The Little Rock, Ark., native entered Friday 20 kills short of reaching the milestone and eclipsed the mark with 25 against the Panthers. She is the only current Bulldog who has recorded such feat.
Spell Shines At Libero…
Last Saturday's first match was only Cheyenne Spell's second start of the season as the Bulldogs' libero, but that didn't keep her from showing out. Spell set a career high with 24 digs against EIU and turned in a similarly as solid showing with 22 against Portland.
Spell also set a career high with 3 aces against the Pilots.
Harris Closing In On Digs Record…
Junior Payton Harris now stands at 1,369 digs for her career and continues to make strides up the MSU record book. She currently holds fifth place on the school's career digs list, passing Jennifer Shupe (1996-99) three weekends ago. She is now just two digs away from tying Shauna Owens (1988-91) for fourth place. Melissa Kariker (1993-96) holds the school record with 1,707.
Live Broadcast…
Friday night's match will be broadcasted on the SEC Network +. Fans can access the broadcast through WatchESPN.com or by clicking the link below.
Mississippi State at Tennessee SECN+ Broadcast
Live Stats…
Tennessee will provide live stats for Friday night's contest. Fans can access them through the link below.
Mississippi State at Tennessee Live Stats
Admission…
General admission tickets for Friday's match are $3 each. Tickets can bought online at www.allvols.com or at the gate at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Bulldogs Close Out SEC Opening Weekend At UK…
After Friday's conference opener, the Maroon and White will turn its attention to Lexington to wrap up opening weekend. The Bulldogs and Wildcats will face off on Sunday, Sept. 25, with first serve set for 12:30 p.m. CT from Memorial Coliseum. The match will be broadcasted on 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."
Players Mentioned
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