Saturday, September 7
Hattiesburg, Miss.
10:00 AM
Mississippi State
5-0, 0-0SEC
3
vs
2
Arkansas State
3-2, 0-0Sun Belt
1
2
3
4
5
F
Arkansas State
22
25
25
17
13
2
Mississippi State
25
15
23
25
15
3
Volleyball Improves to 6-0 with Second Tournament Sweep
September 07, 2019 | Volleyball
By Austin Coats, Graduate Assistant/Communications
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Mississippi State volleyball is two perfect weekends into the 2019 season.
With two wins Saturday, September 7, against Arkansas State and Southern Miss, MSU finished 3-0 at the Southern Miss Classic, its second-straight tournament sweep. State grinded through a morning matchup with Arkansas State before sweeping host Southern Miss in the tournament finale at Reed Green Coliseum.
Now 6-0, the Bulldogs are off to their best start since 2010, when the program began the year with a seven-match win streak. In head coach Julie Darty's second season, her squad has already surpassed the previous season's win total, as the 2018 squad finished with a 5-26 record.
"It was another impressive effort by the Bulldogs," Darty said. "The Southern Miss match was one that was almost harder to prepare for after coming off a huge Arkansas State win this morning. I'm really proud of what we did this weekend at the Southern Miss Classic."
Senior Alleah Stamatis was solid once again, earning tournament Most Valuable Player honors for a second-straight weekend. Stamatis earned a double-double in each of the first two matches, and almost earned another against Southern Miss with 34 assists and eight digs.
"The leadership that Alleah is providing to this young team is crazy," Darty said. "She's allowing people to feel comfortable and confident to do things that they might not be so sure of. She really is just that anchor on the floor for us right now. I'm impressed by the performance that she's putting out there for herself, not only as a player, but as a leader for everybody."
For the weekend, the senior amassed 113 assists and 42 digs. She leads the Bulldogs in both categories through six matches this season with 215 and 74, respectively.
Fellow senior Amarrah Cooks also earned all-tournament laurels for the second weekend in a row. Cooks collected 23 kills at a .346 rate and added 13 total blocks to her tally. The senior is State's most efficient attacker to date, with a .394 hitting percentage in 2019.
This weekend, however, sophomore Gabby Waden was most effective in the front. Waden tallied a team-high 45 kills over the three contests and was extremely efficient, attacking at a .429 rate. Waden joined Stamatis and Cooks as the three Bulldogs on the Southern Miss Classic All-Tournament Team.
Freshman Callie Minshew had another great weekend, picking up 42 kills. Sophomore Deja Robinson provided another great attacking option, with 21 of her own.
Freshman Makenzie Jordan stepped into the libero spot for all three matches in Hattiesburg and led the squad with 51 digs.
"It was another big weekend for Gabby Waden and Callie Minshew," Darty said. "I think our pins did a really good job, and it was really nice to see Amarrah Cooks and Deja Robinson come alive in the middle. It was a big weekend for Makenzie Jordan to step in and put the libero jersey on. She did a good job in left back for us, and I'm excited to see her continue to grow into the player that she's going to be for this program."
Match One | Mississippi State 3, Arkansas State 2
The Bulldogs had to battle to survive an upset bid by Arkansas State. State won the opening frame, 25-22, but the Red Wolves turned the tables with consecutive set wins. With its back against the wall, MSU delivered an eight-point victory in set four before grinding out a 15-13 final set.
Stamatis' second double-double of the weekend saw the senior earn 40 assists, her highest total in Maroon & White, and 24 digs, a career high.
Waden and Cooks each had double-digit kills and a hitting percentage above .400 for the match. Waden led the team with 18 kills, while Cooks picked up seven blocks.
Behind them, Minshew added nine kills and sophomore Deja Robinson had eight. Both student-athletes contributed six blocks apiece.
First Set (Mississippi State 25, Arkansas State 22)
MSU trailed early in the first set but found its way with a 5-0 run that turned into a 12-10 lead. The Red Wolves tied it up at a 14-14 before Darty called a timeout. Waden tallied a kill right out of the break, and State held its lead to take an early advantage.
Second Set (Arkansas State 25, Mississippi State 15)
Arkansas State snuck in six service aces in the second set and broke away early to knot the match at one. Five consecutive points gave the Red Wolves a 12-6 lead, and State never broke within three from that point.
At the end of the frame, Stamatis had already collected a double-double, having 16 assists and 10 digs to that point.
Third Set (Arkansas State 25, Mississippi State 23)
The middle set went back and forth, but concluded with a 2-1 match lead for the Red Wolves. The frame was tied nine times, and ASU broke a 23-23 deadlock with two straight points for the victory.
Fourth Set (Mississippi State 25, Arkansas State 17)
State cruised to a 25-17 win in a do-or-die fourth set. The Bulldogs finished it off with six straight points to end the frame, capped by three consecutive errors on ASU.
Fifth Set (Mississippi State 15, Arkansas State 13)
Carrying the momentum, Mississippi State grinded to a close 15-13 win in the final set. The two squads traded blows early, and ASU took an early advantage at 10-9. Deja Robinson tied it with her eighth kill of the match ahead of Stamatis' service ace that gave MSU the lead.
Down 14-11, ASU pulled back within one before Darty rallied her troops in a timeout. Out of the break, the first serve met the net and sealed win No. 5 for MSU.
Match Two | Mississippi State 3, Southern Miss 0
The Bulldog attack was lethal in the Southern Miss Classic finale, as the attack combined for a .324 hitting percentage with three players hitting .429 or better. Waden and Minshew put together 29 of State's 48 kills.
Stamatis set the pace for the attack, earning 34 assists in the match.
First Set (Mississippi State 25, Southern Miss 17)
State opened the match with a 5-0 run, then improved it to a 11-2 lead following a timeout. MSU hit a combined .538 in the first set, drowning out a quality .310 percentage from the USM hitters.
In the first set alone, Minshew converted seven kills on eight attempts. Waden had four of her own in the opening frame.
Second Set (Mississippi State 25, Southern Miss 19)
MSU never gained a huge advantage in the middle set but led comfortably for most of it. Southern Miss creeped to within three early at 10-7, but back-to-back kills by Gabby Waden helped State to pull away.
Third Set (Mississippi State 25, Southern Miss 23)
Despite losing some sharpness in the final set, MSU grinded its way to a victory in straight sets. MSU only hit at a .149 mark in the third frame but held USM to a .129 rate.
Down 21-16, State was gifted two points on Golden Eagle attack errors. A kill by Minshew, another attack error and an Alleah Stamatis service ace knotted the set at 21-21. Waden and Robinson pulled MSU to a 24-22 advantage before USM made it a one-contest at match point. Stamatis, the setter, then did the unconventional, winning it with a kill of her own.
Up Next
More tournament play. The Bulldogs will travel to Jacksonville, Ala., next week for the Gamecock Classic. State is set to take on Stetson and Sam Houston State on Friday, September 13, and faces the host, Jacksonville, on Saturday.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateVB.
Southern Miss Classic
Friday, September 6
Match One | Mississippi State 3, New Orleans 1
Match Two | Arkansas State 3, Southern Miss 0
Saturday, September 7
Match Three | Mississippi State 3, Arkansas State 2
Match Four | New Orleans 3, Southern Miss 0
Match Five | Arkansas State 3, New Orleans 1
Match Six | Mississippi State 3, Southern Miss 0
Southern Miss Classic All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player - Alleah Stamatis (Mississippi State)
Gabby Waden (Mississippi State)
Amarrah Cooks (Mississippi State)
Peyton Uhlenhake (Arkansas State)
Malgorzata Andersohn (Arkansas State)
Lucie Pokorna (New Orleans)
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Mississippi State volleyball is two perfect weekends into the 2019 season.
With two wins Saturday, September 7, against Arkansas State and Southern Miss, MSU finished 3-0 at the Southern Miss Classic, its second-straight tournament sweep. State grinded through a morning matchup with Arkansas State before sweeping host Southern Miss in the tournament finale at Reed Green Coliseum.
Now 6-0, the Bulldogs are off to their best start since 2010, when the program began the year with a seven-match win streak. In head coach Julie Darty's second season, her squad has already surpassed the previous season's win total, as the 2018 squad finished with a 5-26 record.
"It was another impressive effort by the Bulldogs," Darty said. "The Southern Miss match was one that was almost harder to prepare for after coming off a huge Arkansas State win this morning. I'm really proud of what we did this weekend at the Southern Miss Classic."
Senior Alleah Stamatis was solid once again, earning tournament Most Valuable Player honors for a second-straight weekend. Stamatis earned a double-double in each of the first two matches, and almost earned another against Southern Miss with 34 assists and eight digs.
"The leadership that Alleah is providing to this young team is crazy," Darty said. "She's allowing people to feel comfortable and confident to do things that they might not be so sure of. She really is just that anchor on the floor for us right now. I'm impressed by the performance that she's putting out there for herself, not only as a player, but as a leader for everybody."
For the weekend, the senior amassed 113 assists and 42 digs. She leads the Bulldogs in both categories through six matches this season with 215 and 74, respectively.
Fellow senior Amarrah Cooks also earned all-tournament laurels for the second weekend in a row. Cooks collected 23 kills at a .346 rate and added 13 total blocks to her tally. The senior is State's most efficient attacker to date, with a .394 hitting percentage in 2019.
This weekend, however, sophomore Gabby Waden was most effective in the front. Waden tallied a team-high 45 kills over the three contests and was extremely efficient, attacking at a .429 rate. Waden joined Stamatis and Cooks as the three Bulldogs on the Southern Miss Classic All-Tournament Team.
Freshman Callie Minshew had another great weekend, picking up 42 kills. Sophomore Deja Robinson provided another great attacking option, with 21 of her own.
Freshman Makenzie Jordan stepped into the libero spot for all three matches in Hattiesburg and led the squad with 51 digs.
"It was another big weekend for Gabby Waden and Callie Minshew," Darty said. "I think our pins did a really good job, and it was really nice to see Amarrah Cooks and Deja Robinson come alive in the middle. It was a big weekend for Makenzie Jordan to step in and put the libero jersey on. She did a good job in left back for us, and I'm excited to see her continue to grow into the player that she's going to be for this program."
Match One | Mississippi State 3, Arkansas State 2
The Bulldogs had to battle to survive an upset bid by Arkansas State. State won the opening frame, 25-22, but the Red Wolves turned the tables with consecutive set wins. With its back against the wall, MSU delivered an eight-point victory in set four before grinding out a 15-13 final set.
Stamatis' second double-double of the weekend saw the senior earn 40 assists, her highest total in Maroon & White, and 24 digs, a career high.
Waden and Cooks each had double-digit kills and a hitting percentage above .400 for the match. Waden led the team with 18 kills, while Cooks picked up seven blocks.
Behind them, Minshew added nine kills and sophomore Deja Robinson had eight. Both student-athletes contributed six blocks apiece.
First Set (Mississippi State 25, Arkansas State 22)
MSU trailed early in the first set but found its way with a 5-0 run that turned into a 12-10 lead. The Red Wolves tied it up at a 14-14 before Darty called a timeout. Waden tallied a kill right out of the break, and State held its lead to take an early advantage.
Second Set (Arkansas State 25, Mississippi State 15)
Arkansas State snuck in six service aces in the second set and broke away early to knot the match at one. Five consecutive points gave the Red Wolves a 12-6 lead, and State never broke within three from that point.
At the end of the frame, Stamatis had already collected a double-double, having 16 assists and 10 digs to that point.
Third Set (Arkansas State 25, Mississippi State 23)
The middle set went back and forth, but concluded with a 2-1 match lead for the Red Wolves. The frame was tied nine times, and ASU broke a 23-23 deadlock with two straight points for the victory.
Fourth Set (Mississippi State 25, Arkansas State 17)
State cruised to a 25-17 win in a do-or-die fourth set. The Bulldogs finished it off with six straight points to end the frame, capped by three consecutive errors on ASU.
Fifth Set (Mississippi State 15, Arkansas State 13)
Carrying the momentum, Mississippi State grinded to a close 15-13 win in the final set. The two squads traded blows early, and ASU took an early advantage at 10-9. Deja Robinson tied it with her eighth kill of the match ahead of Stamatis' service ace that gave MSU the lead.
Down 14-11, ASU pulled back within one before Darty rallied her troops in a timeout. Out of the break, the first serve met the net and sealed win No. 5 for MSU.
Match Two | Mississippi State 3, Southern Miss 0
The Bulldog attack was lethal in the Southern Miss Classic finale, as the attack combined for a .324 hitting percentage with three players hitting .429 or better. Waden and Minshew put together 29 of State's 48 kills.
Stamatis set the pace for the attack, earning 34 assists in the match.
First Set (Mississippi State 25, Southern Miss 17)
State opened the match with a 5-0 run, then improved it to a 11-2 lead following a timeout. MSU hit a combined .538 in the first set, drowning out a quality .310 percentage from the USM hitters.
In the first set alone, Minshew converted seven kills on eight attempts. Waden had four of her own in the opening frame.
Second Set (Mississippi State 25, Southern Miss 19)
MSU never gained a huge advantage in the middle set but led comfortably for most of it. Southern Miss creeped to within three early at 10-7, but back-to-back kills by Gabby Waden helped State to pull away.
Third Set (Mississippi State 25, Southern Miss 23)
Despite losing some sharpness in the final set, MSU grinded its way to a victory in straight sets. MSU only hit at a .149 mark in the third frame but held USM to a .129 rate.
Down 21-16, State was gifted two points on Golden Eagle attack errors. A kill by Minshew, another attack error and an Alleah Stamatis service ace knotted the set at 21-21. Waden and Robinson pulled MSU to a 24-22 advantage before USM made it a one-contest at match point. Stamatis, the setter, then did the unconventional, winning it with a kill of her own.
Up Next
More tournament play. The Bulldogs will travel to Jacksonville, Ala., next week for the Gamecock Classic. State is set to take on Stetson and Sam Houston State on Friday, September 13, and faces the host, Jacksonville, on Saturday.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateVB.
Southern Miss Classic
Friday, September 6
Match One | Mississippi State 3, New Orleans 1
Match Two | Arkansas State 3, Southern Miss 0
Saturday, September 7
Match Three | Mississippi State 3, Arkansas State 2
Match Four | New Orleans 3, Southern Miss 0
Match Five | Arkansas State 3, New Orleans 1
Match Six | Mississippi State 3, Southern Miss 0
Southern Miss Classic All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player - Alleah Stamatis (Mississippi State)
Gabby Waden (Mississippi State)
Amarrah Cooks (Mississippi State)
Peyton Uhlenhake (Arkansas State)
Malgorzata Andersohn (Arkansas State)
Lucie Pokorna (New Orleans)
Team Stats
ASU
MSU
Kills
56
51
Errors
37
27
Attempts
179
158
Hitting %
.106
.152
Points
78.0
68.0
Assists
54
47
Aces
15
4
Blocks
7.0
13.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
18
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
7
Kills
9
Aces
1
Blocks
6
Kills
8
Aces
1
Blocks
6
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballMB
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