Wednesday, March 31
Starkville
1:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
Georgia
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
PREVIEW: Volleyball Welcomes Georgia to Close Season
March 30, 2021 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE – The final chapter of a unique 2020-21 Mississippi State volleyball season will be written this week.
Â
Mississippi State (4-14, 4-14 SEC) will conclude its season when it hosts Georgia (7-13, 7-13 SEC) Wednesday and Thursday (March 31-April 1) in a two-match series in the Newell-Grissom Building. The series was originally scheduled for January 29-30, but was postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing within the Georgia program.
Â
Fans can watch both matches on the SEC Network+ digital platform, with first serve coming at 1 p.m. CT both days.
Â
The Bulldogs will look to continue to build upon the growth it has seen through this third year of the Julie Darty Dennis era. The 2020-21 season has seen ranked wins on the road at No. 7 Texas A&M in November, a breakout season from junior Gabby Waden and the addition of many talented newcomers.
Â
"We are looking forward to this final series," Darty Dennis said. "It has been a long season, and we have played a lot of volleyball. We have made great progress and grown in many different areas of our game. Our team is excited about getting to compete one last time and we are even more excited that it's at home. We have improved in practice over the last week, and we are hungry and ready to go."
Â
Georgia is coming off of a series sweep of Ole Miss, in which both matches went to five sets. Head coach Tom Black's group is especially strong at the net, ranking No. 4 in the SEC in blocks (2.18 per set).
Â
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 its 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.
Â
Match 1
Opponent: Georgia
Location: Newell-Grissom Building | Starkville, Miss.
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 31 | 1 p.m. CT
Broadcast: SEC Network+ (Bart Gregory, Summer Seage)
Â
Match 2
Opponent: Georgia
Location: Newell-Grissom Building | Starkville, Miss.
Date & Time: Thursday, April 1 | 1 p.m. CT
Broadcast: SEC Network+ (Bart Gregory, Summer Seage)
Â
Overall: 15-47
at MSU: 7-20
at LSU: 5-23
Neutral: 3-4
Last Meeting: November 17, 2019 | Starkville, Miss. | Georgia won, 3-0
Â
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateVB.
Â
Â
Mississippi State (4-14, 4-14 SEC) will conclude its season when it hosts Georgia (7-13, 7-13 SEC) Wednesday and Thursday (March 31-April 1) in a two-match series in the Newell-Grissom Building. The series was originally scheduled for January 29-30, but was postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing within the Georgia program.
Â
Fans can watch both matches on the SEC Network+ digital platform, with first serve coming at 1 p.m. CT both days.
Â
The Bulldogs will look to continue to build upon the growth it has seen through this third year of the Julie Darty Dennis era. The 2020-21 season has seen ranked wins on the road at No. 7 Texas A&M in November, a breakout season from junior Gabby Waden and the addition of many talented newcomers.
Â
"We are looking forward to this final series," Darty Dennis said. "It has been a long season, and we have played a lot of volleyball. We have made great progress and grown in many different areas of our game. Our team is excited about getting to compete one last time and we are even more excited that it's at home. We have improved in practice over the last week, and we are hungry and ready to go."
Â
Georgia is coming off of a series sweep of Ole Miss, in which both matches went to five sets. Head coach Tom Black's group is especially strong at the net, ranking No. 4 in the SEC in blocks (2.18 per set).
Â
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 its 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.
Â
Match Information
 Match 1
Opponent: Georgia
Location: Newell-Grissom Building | Starkville, Miss.
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 31 | 1 p.m. CT
Broadcast: SEC Network+ (Bart Gregory, Summer Seage)
Â
Match 2
Opponent: Georgia
Location: Newell-Grissom Building | Starkville, Miss.
Date & Time: Thursday, April 1 | 1 p.m. CT
Broadcast: SEC Network+ (Bart Gregory, Summer Seage)
Â
Series History
 Overall: 15-47
at MSU: 7-20
at LSU: 5-23
Neutral: 3-4
Last Meeting: November 17, 2019 | Starkville, Miss. | Georgia won, 3-0
Â
First Serve
Â
- Junior right side hitter Gabby Waden is averaging 4.19 kills per set on a .345 hitting percentage this spring.
- Waden ranks No. 4 in the SEC in kills (3.94 per set) and No. 8 in points (4.20 per set).
- Freshman libero Lilly Gunter is averaging 3.30 digs per set during her rookie campaign, the seventh-best mark in the SEC and the third-best among league freshmen.
- Sophomore outside hitter Callie Minshew ranks tied for eighth in the league with 0.32 aces per set.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateVB.
Â
Players Mentioned
Mssissippi State Volleyball vs Missouri - 11/7/21
Sunday, November 07
gabby waden interview - 11/3/21
Thursday, November 04
Shania Cromartie Post Match Interview - 10/24/21
Tuesday, October 26
Mississippi State Volleyball vs. Texas A&M - 10/24/21
Sunday, October 24