Sunday, September 25
Lexington, Ky.
12:30 PM
Mississippi State
at
Kentucky
Emily Hill turned in 10 kills on Friday night, moving her season total to 165.
MSU Faces Kentucky To Close Out Opening Weekend Of SEC Play
September 24, 2016 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Opening weekend of SEC play will come to a close for the Mississippi State Bulldogs (9-6, 1-0 SEC) on Sunday afternoon, as they travel to Lexington to face the Kentucky Wildcats (8-4, 1-0 SEC).
First serve is set for 12:30 p.m. CT at Memorial Coliseum, with the match showing live on SEC Network +. Fans can access the broadcast through WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.
The Dogs are coming off an impressive sweep of the Tennessee Volunteers on Friday, marking their first SEC opener win since 2006. Led by sophomore Blossom Sato's third double-double of the year (24 assists, 12 digs), State blanked Tennessee to give the Maroon and White its fourth win in the last five meetings with the Vols.
"Our team is playing really tough and aggressive volleyball right now and that showed on Friday at Tennessee," coach David McFatrich said. "While we're happy with that result, our mindset is now on Kentucky. They are one of the top teams in the SEC, but we know that if we play our brand of volleyball, Bulldog volleyball, we can compete with anyone in the nation."
A win on Sunday against Kentucky would make history for the Bulldogs in several ways, giving MSU its first win in Lexington in program history, along with the school's first-ever 2-0 start to SEC play.
State will look to seniors Evie Grace Singleton and Jazmyne Johnson when it takes the court against the Cats. Singleton tops the team with 231 kills, 28 aces and 270.0 points, while Johnson is the squad's leader with 67 blocks.
Sato will also be a key player for the Dogs on Sunday, especially after showing out on Friday at Tennessee. The 24 assists against the Vols pushed the setter's total to 364, a team best. Defensively, Payton Harris and Cheyenne Spell have been two of the top passers for the Maroon and White, as Harris leads the team with 200 digs and Spell comes in second with 154. Spell has started the last four matches at libero for MSU.
Not to be left out are the attacking presences of freshman Emily Hill and junior Jelena Vujcin. Both turned in 10 kills against Tennessee on Friday and stand second and third on the team in kills, respectively.
"I felt like we had a really balanced performance against UT and that's a sign that we're firing on all cylinders," McFatrich said. "There's things we need to keep working on, but I like the direction we're heading."
When Sunday comes to a close, the Bulldogs will head back south to open up home SEC play against Auburn and Alabama. MSU will face off with the Tigers on Friday, Sept. 30 on SEC Network + at 7 p.m., before hosting the Crimson Tide on Sunday, Oct. 2 on the SEC Network at 3 p.m.
Weekend Schedule…
Friday, Sept. 23
Mississippi State def. Tennessee, 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-22)
Sunday, Sept. 25
Mississippi State at Kentucky – 12:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Last Time Out…
The Bulldogs took down Tennessee in straight sets to start off SEC play, winning their first SEC opener since 2006 (3-0 vs. Ole Miss) and first SEC road opener since 2004 (3-0 at South Carolina). The win also marked the first back-to-back victories for State in Knoxville since 1994-95. Sophomore Blossom Sato led the way, turning in her third double-double of the year with 24 assists and 12 digs.
Bulldogs Looking To Capture First Win In Lexington…
Sunday's contest will be MSU's 26th trip to Lexington and the Dogs will be looking to make a little history this time around. State is 0-25 in Lexington, having never defeated the Wildcats on their home court. A win would be just the third against UK in program history, with the other two coming in 1994 and 2011, both in Starkville.
A Bulldog Win Would…
Scouting The Kentucky Wildcats…
Kentucky is coming off a 3-0 victory against Georgia on Wednesday to open up their SEC slate. For the year the Wildcats are 8-4 and have won their last five matches.
Leah Edmond leads the Cats with 154 kills and 171.5 points. Olivia Dailey is the team's leader with 381 assists, while McKenzie Watson paces UK with 12 aces. Ashley Dusek leads the Wildcats with 173 digs and Kaz Brown tops Kentucky's blocking efforts with 50 total.
Leading The Bulldogs…
Kills: Evie Grace Singleton, 231
Assists: Blossom Sato, 364
Aces: Evie Grace Singleton, 28
Digs: Payton Harris, 200
Blocks: Jazmyne Johnson, 67
Points: Evie Grace Singleton, 270.0
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 is undefeated when outhitting its opponents and is 1-6 when losing the attacking battle. State's win on Friday was its first when being outhit by an opponent.
The First Set Is The Key…
One early trend discovered with the 2016 Bulldogs lies within the first set. State is 8-2 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 6-1 this year when doing so.
Duzenack Moves Up The Record Book…
With 14 assists on Friday night, Riley Duzenack moved up to sixth in the MSU freshman record book for assists in a season with 289. She is now 230 assists away from cracking the top five.
Live Broadcast…
Sunday'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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky Live Stats
Admission…
General admission tickets for Sunday's match are $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 6-18 and seniors of the age 65 and over. All children age 5 and younger are free in general admission areas. Fans can purchase tickets at the door at Memorial Coliseum or click the link below.
Mississippi State at Kentucky Tickets
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 is set for 12:30 p.m. CT at Memorial Coliseum, with the match showing live on SEC Network +. Fans can access the broadcast through WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.
The Dogs are coming off an impressive sweep of the Tennessee Volunteers on Friday, marking their first SEC opener win since 2006. Led by sophomore Blossom Sato's third double-double of the year (24 assists, 12 digs), State blanked Tennessee to give the Maroon and White its fourth win in the last five meetings with the Vols.
"Our team is playing really tough and aggressive volleyball right now and that showed on Friday at Tennessee," coach David McFatrich said. "While we're happy with that result, our mindset is now on Kentucky. They are one of the top teams in the SEC, but we know that if we play our brand of volleyball, Bulldog volleyball, we can compete with anyone in the nation."
A win on Sunday against Kentucky would make history for the Bulldogs in several ways, giving MSU its first win in Lexington in program history, along with the school's first-ever 2-0 start to SEC play.
State will look to seniors Evie Grace Singleton and Jazmyne Johnson when it takes the court against the Cats. Singleton tops the team with 231 kills, 28 aces and 270.0 points, while Johnson is the squad's leader with 67 blocks.
Sato will also be a key player for the Dogs on Sunday, especially after showing out on Friday at Tennessee. The 24 assists against the Vols pushed the setter's total to 364, a team best. Defensively, Payton Harris and Cheyenne Spell have been two of the top passers for the Maroon and White, as Harris leads the team with 200 digs and Spell comes in second with 154. Spell has started the last four matches at libero for MSU.
Not to be left out are the attacking presences of freshman Emily Hill and junior Jelena Vujcin. Both turned in 10 kills against Tennessee on Friday and stand second and third on the team in kills, respectively.
"I felt like we had a really balanced performance against UT and that's a sign that we're firing on all cylinders," McFatrich said. "There's things we need to keep working on, but I like the direction we're heading."
When Sunday comes to a close, the Bulldogs will head back south to open up home SEC play against Auburn and Alabama. MSU will face off with the Tigers on Friday, Sept. 30 on SEC Network + at 7 p.m., before hosting the Crimson Tide on Sunday, Oct. 2 on the SEC Network at 3 p.m.
Weekend Schedule…
Friday, Sept. 23
Mississippi State def. Tennessee, 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-22)
Sunday, Sept. 25
Mississippi State at Kentucky – 12:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Last Time Out…
The Bulldogs took down Tennessee in straight sets to start off SEC play, winning their first SEC opener since 2006 (3-0 vs. Ole Miss) and first SEC road opener since 2004 (3-0 at South Carolina). The win also marked the first back-to-back victories for State in Knoxville since 1994-95. Sophomore Blossom Sato led the way, turning in her third double-double of the year with 24 assists and 12 digs.
Bulldogs Looking To Capture First Win In Lexington…
Sunday's contest will be MSU's 26th trip to Lexington and the Dogs will be looking to make a little history this time around. State is 0-25 in Lexington, having never defeated the Wildcats on their home court. A win would be just the third against UK in program history, with the other two coming in 1994 and 2011, both in Starkville.
A Bulldog Win Would…
- Snap a six-match losing streak to Kentucky
- Be State's first win in Lexington in 26 total tries
- Be MSU's third victory in program history against UK and the first since 2011 in Starkville
- Mark the first time in school history that MSU has started 2-0 in SEC play
Scouting The Kentucky Wildcats…
Kentucky is coming off a 3-0 victory against Georgia on Wednesday to open up their SEC slate. For the year the Wildcats are 8-4 and have won their last five matches.
Leah Edmond leads the Cats with 154 kills and 171.5 points. Olivia Dailey is the team's leader with 381 assists, while McKenzie Watson paces UK with 12 aces. Ashley Dusek leads the Wildcats with 173 digs and Kaz Brown tops Kentucky's blocking efforts with 50 total.
Leading The Bulldogs…
Kills: Evie Grace Singleton, 231
Assists: Blossom Sato, 364
Aces: Evie Grace Singleton, 28
Digs: Payton Harris, 200
Blocks: Jazmyne Johnson, 67
Points: Evie Grace Singleton, 270.0
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 is undefeated when outhitting its opponents and is 1-6 when losing the attacking battle. State's win on Friday was its first when being outhit by an opponent.
The First Set Is The Key…
One early trend discovered with the 2016 Bulldogs lies within the first set. State is 8-2 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 6-1 this year when doing so.
Duzenack Moves Up The Record Book…
With 14 assists on Friday night, Riley Duzenack moved up to sixth in the MSU freshman record book for assists in a season with 289. She is now 230 assists away from cracking the top five.
Live Broadcast…
Sunday'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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky Live Stats
Admission…
General admission tickets for Sunday's match are $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 6-18 and seniors of the age 65 and over. All children age 5 and younger are free in general admission areas. Fans can purchase tickets at the door at Memorial Coliseum or click the link below.
Mississippi State at Kentucky Tickets
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
S
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
RS/MB
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ 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