Waden Collects SEC Player Of The Week Accolades

by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Mississippi State's Gabby Waden collected the SEC's Player and the SEC's Offensive Player of the Week accolades announced Monday by the conference office.

For Waden, it's her first weekly honors from the conference office. She is the third player in program history to be named the SEC's Player of the Week and the fifth player to secure the SEC's Offensive Player of the Week. Shania Cromartie earned both awards from the SEC earlier this season on September 27.

"I'm extremely proud of the recognition Gabby earned from the SEC," head coach Julie Darty Dennis said. "She had a career-best performance yesterday in a hostile environment and helped us come from behind to win state championship and the program's third straight match with Ole Miss. Gabby is an elite attacker with a special arm. We saw her play with a resolve yesterday that is unique and special. We're very proud of Gabby. The way that she wears the Maroon and White makes us extremely proud to call her a Bulldog."

Waden, a 2020-21 All-SEC pick, sparked Mississippi State to a pair of RPI top 50 victories against South Carolina and at Ole Miss. She powered home 5.44 kills per set on a blistering .481 hitting percentage to average 5.72 points per set as a three-rotation right side hitter.

Waden ripped 24 of her career-best 31 kills over the final three sets as the Bulldogs erased a 2-0 deficit at Ole Miss. The 31 kills for Waden are the most by a SEC player during a conference match this season. Waden belted 10 kills in the third set as State erased a pair of match points and hammered home eight addition kills as the Bulldogs charged back from a 20-16 hole during the fourth stanza. She slapped four more kills as State raced out to a 7-2 advantage in the winner-take-all fifth set.

Waden, a Columbia, South Carolina native, belted 18 kills versus the Gamecocks. She provided the late set heroics to close the match with three kills down the stretch of the fourth set as State flipped the score from behind 22-21 to a 25-22 triumph.

The Bulldogs will complete a stretch of five of seven matches at home to start October. State will play host to Texas A&M for a weekend series on October 23-24. Admission is free for all home volleyball matches with gates opening one hour prior to first serve.

In accordance with Mississippi State University policies, face coverings are required to be worn at all times during all indoor athletic events unless fans are actively eating or drinking. Mississippi State Athletics has designed a socially distanced seating plan to welcome fans to the Newell-Grissom Building in the healthiest manner possible for the 2021 season.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the volleyball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets by searching 'HailStateVB' on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Waden Collects SEC Player Of The Week Accolades

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Shania Cromartie

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