2020 Fall Review
November 23, 2020 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE – When Mississippi State volleyball opened its season on October 17 in the Newell-Grissom Building, the Bulldogs were grateful most of all to have the opportunity to compete.
"It was wonderful that we were able to play volleyball this fall, and I know we are all grateful for that opportunity," MSU volleyball coach Julie Darty Dennis said. "I am proud to be part of such a great university, athletic department and conference."
The Bulldogs battled in their season opening series against Arkansas, a team that went 6-2 during the fall, playing to five sets in both matches. While the Razorbacks edged State in both contests, MSU was able to take small victories from the series; the Bulldogs put up a strong defensive effort in its opening matches. Led by junior Deja Robinson, State won the blocking battle, totaling 29Â team blocks in the series helped on by a 17-block effort in the finale.
Robinson recorded a career-high 12 total blocks in the second match, tying the second-highest mark by an MSU player all-time and the most since Bali Leffall-Young (12) on October 17, 2014 against Tennessee. Robinson also moved into MSU's top 10 for career solo blocks this fall and now ranks tied for ninth with 55 through the first half of her junior season.
After a quick turnaround, State traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in late October to take on LSU in its first of two road series. The Bulldogs managed to take a set from each match, but the Tigers defended their home court and won both four-set contests.
State had started the season 0-4 heading into its toughest test yet - a road trip to Bryan-College Station, Texas to play No. 7 Texas A&M. With almost two weeks to prepare, the Bulldogs faced their adversity head on.
Mississippi State had never beaten the Aggies in the all-time series heading into the week and had only beaten one ranked opponent ever. However, after being down 1-0 in both matches, State left Aggieland with its first two wins ever against a top-10 team. MSU won the final three frames of the opening match, then overcame 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to topple the Aggies in a five-set thriller and clinch the series sweep.
"We faced a lot of adversity on that trip and that week of practice, and we overcame a lot to win those matches," Darty Dennis said. "I feel so excited for the girls that they were able to grab two huge wins."
For a coach working to steadily build the program, MSU's first back-to-back victories in SEC play since 2016 also meant State's first two wins of the 2020-21 season, tying the 2019 SEC total after just six matches.
"Texas A&M is a very good program year-in and year-out, but we did a great job of forcing them to play our way and making them uncomfortable," Darty Dennis said. "We were in control of those matches, and it was fun to watch us play that way. I like who we are when we let go of that pressure and just play free.
"It meant a lot for the program, and I think they are great wins to build off of."
Junior Gabby Waden's performance in the series emphasized her outstanding fall. Waden became the first Bulldog to tally 20 kills in back-to-back matches since Emily Hill in 2016 with 44 kills (4.89 per set) and a .344 hitting percentage between the two matches. She delivered in the clutch, too, as she clinched each MSU victory with a kill.
Waden was a model of consistency throughout the fall for the Bulldog offense. In eight matches, the Columbia, South Carolina, native carded double-digit kills in seven of those. She led the team in kills (121 total, 3.67 per set), hitting percentage (.307) and points (130.5 total, 3.95 per set). Her 3.67 kills per set average ranked No. 10 in the SEC.
"The biggest growth for me has been maturity," Waden said. "I think a lot of teams are scouting me really hard, so I have improved on focusing on what I can control. I have to adapt and find different ways to score."
Following the A&M series, sophomore Callie Minshew was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week on November 9 after totaling a team-best 33 digs between the two matches. She was the fourth Bulldog all-time to earn the distinction and the first since Leffall-Young was named a co-honoree on October 20, 2014.
Freshman Lilly Gunter also impressed in the first reps of her collegiate career. The Oviedo, Florida, native started the season opener in the libero jersey and never looked back. Gunter tallied double-digit digs in seven of eight matches, including a season-high 20 in the series opener at LSU, and collected 3.36 digs per set to rank No. 7 in the SEC. She also made herself instrumental offensively, garnering five or more assists in five matches.
In their first seasons competing in maroon and white, graduate transfer Margaret Dean and redshirt junior Logan Brown combined for seven double-doubles. Brown had a career performance in the second match against Arkansas, picking up 19 kills and a career-high 18 digs.
Darty Dennis and Waden said that the growth of relationships within the team helped produce results on the court and bodes well for the health of the program as it progresses into spring.
"I'm proud of how the girls really were building relationships intentionally with one another this fall," Darty Dennis said. "I think the team voicing they wanted leaders was huge too, and our leadership council has done a great job of getting the team together, connected and talking about goals, values and what matters to them."
Prior to the season, the program established its three-player leadership council of Waden, Dean and lone senior Kendall Murr. The group was voted on by their fellow student-athletes.
"We are all locked in and want to win for the person next to us," Waden added. "I think that's incredible to watch in games and in practice. On the court, it's comforting to know that the person next to me is going to do their best no matter what."
While there are a lot of positives for her team to be proud of, Darty Dennis is committed to continuing on that progress come spring.
"I want us to continue to establish who we are and what we are about," she said. "We are going to compete a lot in our gym when we get back, and I hope that desire to get after it, work hard and execute the game plan will transfer over to matches this spring. When everyone on our roster is healthy, we have a ton of depth, so it gets really fun and competitive in our gym."
Information about the 2021 spring schedule will be released at a later date.
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