Bulldogs Close out Non-Conference Slate in Denton

Thursday, September 13

Denton, Texas

7:00 PM

Mississippi State

North Texas

Darty and her squad head to Texas to close out non-conference play.

Photo by: Blake Williams/MSU Athletics

Bulldogs Close out Non-Conference Slate in Denton

September 12, 2018 | Volleyball

Match Notes Live Stats - North Texas Live Stats - Cal Poly Live Stats - Stephen F. Austin

by Mary Catherine Molay, Graduate Assistant

STARKVILLE - For the last weekend of non-conference play, Mississippi State (4-6) heads to the Lone Star State for the North Texas Challenge.

The Bulldogs will face host North Texas (3-7) at 7 p.m. on Thurs., Sept. 13. On Friday, Sept. 14, State faces No. 14 Cal Poly (7-1) at 3 p.m. MSU caps off the tournament against Stephen F. Austin (10-2) on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 3:30 p.m.

"This is our last chance to get really prepared and ready before we enter SEC play," first-year head coach Julie Darty said. "This is a great opportunity for us to compete against some really talented opponents, and we know it's going to be a very competitive tournament at North Texas. I would like us to continue to focus on the little things that are a part of our process. We are really starting to find our identity as a tough serving, good ball control team and that's a huge part of our focus.

"If we can continue to execute our game plans in an efficient way, handle the ball at a high level and win the transition game, then we will continue to get better," Darty explained. "I am excited for this last weekend of non-conference play. We will be able to learn a lot about who we are and gain some momentum as we get ready to roll into SEC play."

Mississippi State faces North Texas for the seventh time in program history, and they face Cal Poly for the first time ever. After five meetings, the Bulldogs look to defeat Stephen F. Austin for the first time in program history. None of the matches this weekend will be televised.

North Texas Challenge Schedule
Mississippi State at North Texas - Thursday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.

Live Stats: https://hailst.at/2x23YPZ

Mississippi State vs. Cal Poly - Friday, Sept. 14 at 3 p.m.

Live Stats: https://hailst.at/2x23YPZ

Mississippi State vs. Stephen F. Austin - Saturday, Sept. 15 at 3:30 p.m.

Live Stats: https://hailst.at/2x23YPZ

Bulldogs Battle the North Texas Mean Green ...
For the first match of the North Texas Challenge, Mississippi State faces off against host North Texas. This is the seventh meeting between the two teams as the series is tied at 3-3. In Denton, North Texas leads 2-0. The two teams met last season in Starkville on Sept. 15 where North Texas won 3-0.

Outside hitter Valerie Valerian tops the team ledger with 104 kills and 74 digs. Setter Karley York leads the team with 289 assists.

Bulldogs Face Cal Poly For The First Time In Program History ...
MSU's second opponent in the tournament are the Cal Poly Mustangs. This will mark the first meeting ever between the two teams.

Middle blocker Torrey Van Winden leads the team with 137 kills, and a .318 hitting percentage. Libero/defensive specialist Katherine Brouker has 121 digs and averages 4.03 digs per set for the Jaguars. Setter Avalon Denecochea owns 296 assists on the season.

Scouting the Ladyjacks ...
The third and final foe of the weekend are the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks. This is the sixth meeting for the two programs. MSU trails in the series, 5-0.

Right side hitter Haley Coleman leads the team with 110 kills while middle blocker Danae Daron tops the squad in blocks with 42.0. Defensive specialist Sabrina Monaco has 149 digs on the season.

Murr and Zgunda "dig" it done ...
Kendall Murr has 174 digs, which puts her first in the SEC and 40th in the NCAA. The sophomore transfer also ranks second in the SEC and 69th in the NCAA with 4.70 digs per set.

Gabby Zgunda finds herself with the second most digs on the squad at 116.

Koele Comes Out Swinging In the Jaguar Invitational ...
AJ Koele was in the zone at the Jaguar invitational. The freshman from The Woodlands, Texas had 29 kills on 53 attempts posing a .415 hitting percentage.

Cooks Leads the Team in Seven Categories
Junior transfer Amarrah Cooks leads the team in kills (102), kills per set (2.76), hitting percentage (.329), block solos (11), block assists (17), total blocks (28) and points (122.5).

Kath earns her third double-double of the season ...
Senior Morgan Kath tallied 10 digs and 11 assists against Georgia State on Aug. 26 at the StarkVegas Classic. The Wisconsin native also had 10 digs and 54 assists against Clemson on Aug. 31 at the Appalachian Invitational. This past weekend against Louisiana Tech the senior registered 14 digs and 28 assists.

Kath gets a spot on the NCAA assists list ...
Senior Morgan Kath has 307 assists on the season. That places her fifth in the SEC and 102nd in the nation.

Robinson earns first SEC Freshman of the Week award since 2013 …
Deja Robinson was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 4 following an impressive performance at the Appalachian State Invitational where she averaged 4.08 points and 3.23 kills per set, to go along with a .443 hitting percentage. She was also named to the Appalachian State All-Tournament Team and posted a career-high 20 kills against Davidson.

Hoosiers in StarkVegas ...
Four players on the 2018 roster hail from the state of Indiana (Gabby Zgunda, Kendall Murr, Kanani Price and Liv Benner). The Hoosier State is the most represented state on the squad.

Who's Leading the Bulldogs? ...
Kills:Amarrah Cooks, 102
Kills Per Set:Amarrah Cooks, 2.76
Assists:Morgan Kath, 307
Service Aces:Alleah Stamatis, 9
Digs:Kendall Murr, 174
Block Solos:Amarrah Cooks, 11
Block Assists:Amarrah Cooks, 17
Total Blocks:Amarrah Cooks, 28
Points:Amarrah Cooks, 122.5

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