PREVIEW: Volleyball Hosts No. 24 Missouri in Midweek Set

Wednesday, March 24

Starkville

3:00 PM

Mississippi State

Missouri

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

PREVIEW: Volleyball Hosts No. 24 Missouri in Midweek Set

March 23, 2021 | Volleyball

Match Notes Matchday Information Watch | Match 1 Watch | Match 2 Live Stats | Match 1 Live Stats | Match 2

By: Austin Coats, Graduate Assistant/Communications

STARKVILLE – Eighteen days removed from its last competition, Mississippi State volleyball will host No. 24 Missouri in a two-match series Wednesday and Thursday (March 24-25) at the Newell-Grissom Building.

MSU volleyball (4-12, 4-12 SEC) will take on its third ranked opponent of the 2020-21 season in the 24th-ranked Tigers (13-7, 13-7 SEC). First serve for both matches is set for 3 p.m. CT, and fans can watch each contest on the SEC Network+ digital platform.

"It has been a long time since we have played and an even longer time since we have been at home, and we are looking forward to our midweek matches in The Griss," MSU volleyball head coach Julie Darty Dennis said. "Missouri is a top-25 program, and they are a very solid team. We are going to have to be focused and ready to go from the first point to compete with them.

"This year-round season has brought its challenges, but we have enjoyed being able to compete over two semesters. We have gained a valuable experience, and I think that these final competitions at The Griss are going to be really fun and exciting for our team, and we hope to see our awesome fans there."

In accordance with guidelines provided by the SEC and the most recent Mississippi Governor's Executive Order, the Newell-Grissom Building operates at 50 percent capacity for the remaining 2020-21 home matches, Entry is free to all fans on a first-come, first-served basis, and the maximum capacity cap will be strictly enforced. Fans should not attend if they have any symptoms of COVID-19 or a fever above 100.4 degrees.

Match Information

Match 1
Opponent: No. 24 Missouri
Location: Newell-Grissom Building | Starkville, Miss.
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 24 | 3 p.m. CT
Broadcast: SEC Network+ (Bart Gregory, Summer Seage)

Match 2
Opponent: No. 24 Missouri
Location: Newell-Grissom Building | Starkville, Miss.
Date & Time: Thursday, March 25 | 3 p.m. CT
Broadcast: SEC Network+ (Bart Gregory, Summer Seage)

Series History

Overall: 0-13
at MSU: 0-5
at LSU: 0-8
Neutral: N/A
Last Meeting: October 27, 2019 | Columbia, Mo. | Missouri won, 3-0

First Serve

Junior right side hitter Gabby Waden is averaging 4.43 kills per set on a .371 hitting percentage this spring, and has recorded at least 17 kills in each of MSU's last five matches.
Waden is one of three student-athletes ranking in the SEC Top 10 in kills (No. 4; 4.03 per set), points (No. 7; 4.31 per set) and hitting percentage (No. 10; .340).
Freshman libero Lilly Gunter is averaging 3.33 digs per set during her rookie campaign, the sixth-best mark in the SEC and the second-best among league freshmen.
Graduate middle blocker Jessica Kemp has recorded at least three blocks in each of State's last nine matches.

For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateVB.