Volleyball Bulldogs Host 'Bama Sunday In Season Finale

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State closes out its 37th season of volleyball Sunday afternoon at the Newell-Grissom Building when the Bulldogs (11-17/6-13 SEC) play host to SEC West rival Alabama (11-18/4-14 SEC). First serve is set for 1:30 p.m. and there is no charge for admission on "Bingo Sunday".

In prematch ceremonies Mississippi State will honor four players who will close out their MSU volleyball careers Sunday. Making their final appearances for the Maroon and White are seniors Caitlin Rance (Kingwood, Texas) and Hannah Wilkinson (Elk Point, S.D.) and graduating junior players Hillary Parker (College Station, Texas) and Faith Steinwedell (La Jolla, Calif.)

MSU registered a straight-sets win over the Crimson Tide Sept. 30 and with a win in Sunday's season finale would notch its first season series sweeps of Alabama since topping the Tide twice each in 1997 and 1998.

Rance paced MSU with eight kills in Friday night's 3-0 loss to instate SEC rival Ole Miss. Rance raised her team-leading kills total to 420, third most in a season by a Bulldog and second-most in the SEC. The Bulldog co-captain is now tied with Misty Hubenthal (1999-2002) for seventh among MSU's all-time career kills leaders with 1,115.

The Bulldogs, the preseason pick of the league's coaches for a last-place finish in the SEC West, can clinch third place in the Western Division with a win in Sunday's finale.