Volleyball Bulldogs Eye Series Sweeps On Final Weekend

STARKVILLE, Miss. - An opportunity to match the school record for league wins and divisional finish awaits the Volleyball Bulldogs this weekend when Mississippi State (11-16/6-12 SEC) closes out its 37th season of volleyball this weekend with home matches against SEC Western Division rivals Ole Miss (9-17/5-13 SEC) and Alabama (11-18/4-14 SEC).

MSU matched its 2010 season win total with a straight-sets win at Auburn last Sunday, and wins over both the Rebels and the Crimson Tide this weekend would give the Bulldogs season series sweeps against both foes while matching school records for SEC wins in a season (8 wins in 2007) and SEC Western Division finish (3rd place in 1998).

First serve at the Newell-Grissom Building for the State-Ole Miss match is set for 7 p.m. Friday while Sunday's MSU-Alabama match begins at 1:30 p.m. Promotional events scheduled for the weekend include "Community Night" Friday and "Bingo Sunday" in the season finale.

State turned in one of its most impressive showings of the season in last weekend's regionally-televised win at Auburn. State hit at an SEC season-best .373 clip and piled up 14 team blocks to snap a season-longest eight-match losing skid while earning a sweep of the two-match season series with the Tigers.

Senior Caitlin Rance tallied 23 kills in two matches last weekend, raising her season total for kills to 412 and climbing to fourth among MSU's all-time single season leaders in kills. Freshman middle blocker Lainey Wyman registered 11 blocks last weekend to establish the MSU freshman record for blocks in a season. Wyman's 101 blocks this fall is the third-most in the SEC.

The Bulldogs have claimed 10 of their last 15 matches with the Rebels and are eyeing their fifth season series sweep of Ole Miss in eight years. MSU has won three of its last four matches against the Crimson Tide, including a straight-sets win Sept. 30 in Tuscaloosa.

Prior to Sunday's match MSU will honor three players who this weekend are close out their volleyball careers at Mississippi State. A pair of seniors --- outside hitter Caitlin Rance of Kingwood, Texas, and middle blocker Hannah Wilkinson of Elk Point, S.D., will be saluted along with graduating junior defensive specialist Hillary Parker of College Station, Texas.

There is no charge for admission to this weekend's matches at the Newell-Grissom Building.