State Hosts UGA In SEC Sunday Volleyball

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State takes aim on its initial league win of the campaign Sunday afternoon when the Bulldogs (4-6, 0-1 SEC) close out their first weekend of conference competition hosting Georgia (6-4, 0-1 SEC). First serve is set for 1:30 p.m., and there is no charge for admission to the match at the Newell-Grissom Building.

State's bid for an SEC opening win was thwarted Friday night by a strong blocking performance by the visiting Auburn Tigers. AU players combined for 21 blocks and an 11-5 edge in total team blocking in a straight-sets win (25-20, 25-16, 25-19) at the Newell-Grissom Building. More than 600 fans watched the action as senior Chanelle Baker, sophomore Lainey Wyman and freshman Sara Nielsen tallied eight kills each to pace MSU. The Bulldogs struggled offensively with an .089 hitting percentage for the match.

Georgia (6-4, 0-1) also dropped an SEC opening night match in straight sets, bowing to unbeaten South Carolina (24-26, 18-25, 19-25) in Columbia, S.C.

MSU is led by a pair of freshmen, Taylor Scott (113 kills/118 digs) and Sarah Nielsen (111 kills/27 total blocks). Sophomore Lainey Wyman, with a .357 hitting percentage, heads into Sunday's match sporting team-best per-set averages in both kills (3.67) and blocks (1.00).

MSU SUNDAY PROMOTIONS: SUNDAY BINGO! - Gift card giveaways from around Starkville ... Boutique Relay Challenge (on the court between 2nd and 3rd sets) ... Free Volleyball Youth Clinic (for youth 12 & under on the court after the match) ... MSU students: enter into a drawing for a football sideline pass (MSU-Arkansas game) & swipe your student ID for the Bulldog Coalition Promotion (receive one point for attending) ... Aramark concessions special: Buy a Polk's Sausage Dog ($4) & get a free 44-ounce popcorn