Friday, November 8
Starkville
7:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
South Carolina
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Mississippi State Volleyball Welcomes Gamecocks, Gators to The Griss
November 07, 2019 | Volleyball
By Austin Coats, Graduate Assistant/Communications
STARKVILLE – Following an impressive split weekend to start the month of November, Mississippi State volleyball will have two big tests at home in the Newell-Grissom Building on Friday (Nov. 8) and Sunday (Nov. 10).
The exciting weekend begins with a rematch of MSU (13-11, 2-10 SEC) and South Carolina (14-8, 6-4 SEC) on Friday at 7 p.m. CT. On Sunday, State takes on No. 12 Florida (18-3, 9-1 SEC) in their lone matchup of the season, with first serve set for 1 p.m. CT.
"We are very excited to be playing at home this weekend," MSU volleyball coach Julie Darty said. "We have not been home for a while so it will be fun to be back on our home court in The Griss. We have had a good week of preparation, and the team is really looking forward to welcoming two top-notch SEC opponents to our gym.
"Our focus remains the same. If we can serve and pass, we will be able to play the style of volleyball we want to play. We have to continue to focus on the process and really be invested and commit to that. This is a long season and I truly think we have made tremendous strides in the right direction."
Both matches will be streamed live via SEC Network+.
MSU will look to avenge a 3-0 defeat at South Carolina on Oct. 6. It will be the first matchup at The Griss between the two teams since 2017, when the Gamecocks stole a win in five sets. South Carolina holds a 2-4 road record coming into the weekend.
State is still looking for its first-ever victory over Florida. The No. 12-ranked Gators sit atop the SEC standings with a 9-1 conference ledger.
Mississippi State is playing some of the best volleyball of its 2019 season. Last weekend, the Bulldogs went on the road and defeated Auburn in straight sets. Two days later, LSU just outlasted State in a five-set battle that ended with extra points in the final set. Alleah Stamatis and Callie Minshew each tallied double-doubles in the match, and five Bulldogs collected double-digit digs.
"I hope we can continue to play well and put out a consistent product," Darty said. "I thought that what we did on the road last weekend was a point of pride for us – we battled and fought hard."
Mississippi State will depend on its defense, which ranks third in the league while averaging 14.72 digs per set this season. Four Bulldogs have tallied at least 200 digs this season, the most of any SEC team. Minshew (218 digs) and fellow freshman Makenzie Jordan (212) lead all league rookies in the category.
Minshew is also one of two SEC student-athletes with at least 200 kills and 200 digs. The only other is Ole Miss senior Emily Stroup.
Promotions
Friday night's promotion is "Let's Go 4 The Dough." Mississippi State marketing is giving away free cookie dough and Play-Doh while supplies last, alongside a $50 Visa gift card giveaway.
On Sunday, freshman Callie Minshew's brother, Gardner, a quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, will perform the honorary first serve before the match. The contest is also MSU volleyball's black-out match, as MSU marketing hands out themed T-shirts to the first 150 fans in attendance. Additionally, MSU marketing will be giving away two Razor scooters and a Wii as part of its "Blast from the Past - 2000s" promotion.
Weekend Schedule
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateVB.
STARKVILLE – Following an impressive split weekend to start the month of November, Mississippi State volleyball will have two big tests at home in the Newell-Grissom Building on Friday (Nov. 8) and Sunday (Nov. 10).
The exciting weekend begins with a rematch of MSU (13-11, 2-10 SEC) and South Carolina (14-8, 6-4 SEC) on Friday at 7 p.m. CT. On Sunday, State takes on No. 12 Florida (18-3, 9-1 SEC) in their lone matchup of the season, with first serve set for 1 p.m. CT.
"We are very excited to be playing at home this weekend," MSU volleyball coach Julie Darty said. "We have not been home for a while so it will be fun to be back on our home court in The Griss. We have had a good week of preparation, and the team is really looking forward to welcoming two top-notch SEC opponents to our gym.
"Our focus remains the same. If we can serve and pass, we will be able to play the style of volleyball we want to play. We have to continue to focus on the process and really be invested and commit to that. This is a long season and I truly think we have made tremendous strides in the right direction."
Both matches will be streamed live via SEC Network+.
MSU will look to avenge a 3-0 defeat at South Carolina on Oct. 6. It will be the first matchup at The Griss between the two teams since 2017, when the Gamecocks stole a win in five sets. South Carolina holds a 2-4 road record coming into the weekend.
State is still looking for its first-ever victory over Florida. The No. 12-ranked Gators sit atop the SEC standings with a 9-1 conference ledger.
Mississippi State is playing some of the best volleyball of its 2019 season. Last weekend, the Bulldogs went on the road and defeated Auburn in straight sets. Two days later, LSU just outlasted State in a five-set battle that ended with extra points in the final set. Alleah Stamatis and Callie Minshew each tallied double-doubles in the match, and five Bulldogs collected double-digit digs.
"I hope we can continue to play well and put out a consistent product," Darty said. "I thought that what we did on the road last weekend was a point of pride for us – we battled and fought hard."
Mississippi State will depend on its defense, which ranks third in the league while averaging 14.72 digs per set this season. Four Bulldogs have tallied at least 200 digs this season, the most of any SEC team. Minshew (218 digs) and fellow freshman Makenzie Jordan (212) lead all league rookies in the category.
Minshew is also one of two SEC student-athletes with at least 200 kills and 200 digs. The only other is Ole Miss senior Emily Stroup.
Promotions
Friday night's promotion is "Let's Go 4 The Dough." Mississippi State marketing is giving away free cookie dough and Play-Doh while supplies last, alongside a $50 Visa gift card giveaway.
On Sunday, freshman Callie Minshew's brother, Gardner, a quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, will perform the honorary first serve before the match. The contest is also MSU volleyball's black-out match, as MSU marketing hands out themed T-shirts to the first 150 fans in attendance. Additionally, MSU marketing will be giving away two Razor scooters and a Wii as part of its "Blast from the Past - 2000s" promotion.
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Time | Matchup | Stream | Live Stats |
| Friday, Nov. 8 | 7 p.m. CT | South Carolina | SEC Network+ | https://hailst.at/2Nte98V |
| Sunday, Nov. 10 | 1 p.m. CT | Florida | SEC Network+ | https://hailst.at/2CoxZvC |
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateVB.
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