Dean And Coulter Set MSU Up For Success
November 12, 2021 | Volleyball, Joel Coleman
Setters Margaret Dean and Gabby Coulter are big reasons why State is having such a special season.
STARKVILLE – One is a little more out there and a bit livelier. The other is more chill, with a calm – almost soothing – demeanor.
Both are literally setting Mississippi State volleyball up for success, time and time again this season.
They're MSU setters Margaret Dean and Gabby Coulter. Each has her own unique style and together, the duo has helped put the Bulldogs on pace for the best season in program history.
"I think that it's like the yin and the yang," State head coach Julie Darty Dennis said of Dean and Coulter. "They just make each other better and it makes our team better."
By now, you likely know the numbers that really count. Headed into this weekend's pair of home matches against Tennessee (both set for 1 p.m. CT starts on Saturday and Sunday with free admission each day), the Bulldogs are 20-5 overall. They're 11-2 in Southeastern Conference play, in second place in the league and only a half game out of first.
Dean and Coulter have obviously been big reasons for all the winning. The dynamic duo splits time. They both have three rotations on and three off. But regardless of who's on the court, the job is getting done.
Sometimes it's Dean, the aforementioned lively one of the pair.
"When I think about Margaret, she plays with a lot of swag," Dennis said. "She's an easy one to notice because she gets after it and goes so hard. I think that when she goes and she goes hard, she's tough to beat. She plays really good defense. She's normally capable of serving really tough and moving the ball around. She's got a really good signature short serve that scores a lot of points. She's just somebody that when she goes out there, there's no hesitation about is it going to go well. She knows how to execute, and she just is a good leader. She's not a titled captain, but I think a lot of people look for her leadership and guidance."
Dean doesn't mind being one that others turn to. In fact, she embraces it. She's gearing up for a volleyball coaching career. Dean already leads a club team, so while she plays in Maroon and White, the coach within her just sees the game differently than others.
"I probably pay attention a little too much to stuff," Dean said.
Nah. Coulter seems to appreciate the way Dean goes about her business.
"Margo is definitely the light on the court," Coulter said of Dean. "She never blends in. She always stands out. She always knows what to do and she's a great teammate. She's always giving everyone feedback… She definitely gives the best feedback by far and she always knows what to say at the right time."
Coulter performs her role a little more quietly than Dean. Yet she's just as effective, as evidenced by how earlier this week, she became the first Bulldog to ever win an SEC Setter of the Week award.
"Coulter is just more laid back," Dennis said. "When she goes in, there's almost like a sense you can breathe easy. She's just going to make the plays. She's going to keep everybody calm and happy. She's a feel-good setter. She has a really aggressive serve. She gets after it back there. She makes me laugh. She's a fun one to coach. You just kind of giggle with her. She's always giving her best effort. She's going to execute. She's going to get the job done."
So what exactly is the job? How do Dean and Coulter view their roles as setters on this surging team that has its sights set on an NCAA Tournament berth?
"Being a setter is kind of like being the quarterback of the team," Coulter said. "You know everyone has trust in you to run the system."
Here's where the role of Dean and Coulter is a little different from being a signal caller on the gridiron. In football, a quarterback is often going to get his fair share of the glory. In volleyball, the setter is usually putting someone else in position for the praise.
"Everybody sees a monster kill or a block and they celebrate that, but they don't see how hard you had to run to get there and put your hands on the ball and put up a great set for that attacker to get such a great swing," Dennis said. "I think in our gym, our attackers turn and immediately praise and say, 'Who passed that ball? Great set.' They give a lot of credit where credit is due. For fans and to the naked eye, it's really hard to see all that setters do and how hard their job is."
What anyone can notice though is that MSU's formula is working. Dean and Coulter have combined to average 10.89 assists per set this season. That total would rank fourth in the SEC if running a 5-1 offensive system. For all their differences, the production level of Dean and Coulter is incredibly similar.
There are of course some other traits that are shared as well. Both are transfers, with Dean coming to MSU from Stephen F. Austin and Coulter arriving at State from Marshall. Both are older players with Dean being a graduate student, while Coulter is a senior.
Then there's maybe the biggest similarity of all, and perhaps it's the key to all the success Dean and Coulter have. They're both unselfish with the primary goal of continuing to help push State volleyball to heights never seen before.
"I just think both of us are on the same page with everything and I think we're each other's biggest cheerleaders," Dean said.
