Mississippi State
4-1
Stetson
1-4
McFatrich Earns 100th-Career Win As Bulldogs Sweep Stetson
September 05, 2015 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Coming off an opening weekend where they went 3-1, the Mississippi State volleyball Bulldogs (4-1) kept the momentum rolling, downing the Stetson Hatters (1-4) in three sets Friday night at Newell-Grissom.
The win marked the 100th-career win for head coach David McFatrich, who entered his fifth season as a head coach and first with Mississippi State last weekend. The Bulldogs used impressive showings from a number of players to help put the Hatters away in straight sets.
“We played well tonight and I'm proud of our girls for getting the sweep, but there's still a lot of work to be done with our team,” McFatrich said. “We just have to keep working on playing fearless and bringing our intensity from practice into matches.
“It is also an honor to win my 100th match here at Mississippi State. As I've said time and time again, the support here is amazing and it showed again tonight. I'm blessed to be able to coach these girls and be a part of the Bulldog family.”
McFatrich's 100th win came on yet another straight-sets victory for the Bulldogs, as all four of their wins have come via sweeps. The note marks the first time since 2008 that MSU's first four wins of the season have come in straight sets.
The win would not come easy, as Stetson was able to reach the 20-point mark in each set, pushing the Bulldogs until the very end. The Hatters found themselves up by four, 11-7, early in the first before a pair of kills from Alex Warren catalyzed a 9-3 MSU run that forced a Stetson timeout. SU would keep it close until Warren, Evie Grace Singleton and Jazmyne Johnson launched kills that would propel MSU to a 25-23 first-set win.
Stetson jumped out in front early in the second frame, but a number of Hatter errors combined with kills from Ericka Timberlake pulled the Bulldogs back into play. Another 9-3 Bulldog run pushed the home squad into a lead it would not relinquish, as State closed it out 25-22 despite a struggle on the attack.
The Bulldogs ramped it back up in the third offensively thanks to solid performances across the board. However, Stetson still kept itself in the match, even pushing its lead to up to three on several occasions. Down 18-15, Timberlake brought the fire to spark a 6-0 run that would thrust MSU into the lead, 21-18. The Hatters would manage a couple other kills, but attacks from Singleton and Johnson combined with Stetson errors would seal the contest, as MSU took the third set 25-21 to capture the win.
Warren paced the Bulldog attack with 10 kills, along with 10 digs for her first double-double of the season. Singleton and Johnson both turned in nine kills each as well. Timberlake earned a season-high seven kills and tied a career high with four total blocks.
Blossom Sato kept up her strong start to the year, falling one short of tying her career high with 37 assists. She has now earned 25-plus assists in all five matches this season. Defensively, Johnson led MSU with six total blocks, which is a season high for the junior transfer.
Altogether, MSU had four players with 10.0-plus total points. Johnson led the team with 12.5 on the night.
Haley Tippett and Madison Fitzsimmons led Stetson with eight kills each on the night. Kayla Weller paced SU with 30 assists, while Fitzsimmons also led the Hatters' defensive charge with five total blocks.
The Maroon and White return to action tomorrow with a pair of matches to close out the 2015 Maroon Classic. The Bulldogs will play Mississippi Valley State at 1 p.m. CT, and will close out the weekend against Chattanooga at 7 p.m., at The Griss.
For more information and updates on Mississippi State volleyball, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at HailStateVB.
