CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College volleyball team returns to Gulf South Conference action on Saturday, Oct. 8 as the Lady Choctaws (8-9, 1-8 GSC) host Lee University in a Crohn's Disease Awareness Match. First serve is set for 11 a.m. Fans are encouraged to join the MC volleyball team and wear purple to show support for Crohn's Disease Awareness.
 
Crohn's disease affects men and women equally and up to 20 percent of people with Crohn's have a blood relative who has inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Approximately 700,000 people in the United States are affected by Crohn's disease and it can occur at any time, but most often starts between ages 15-35.
 
The Mississippi College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be selling shirts at the concession stand during the match. The shirts are $12 and the proceeds will be given to Kaitlyn Wilson's family to assist in medical bills for the volleyball freshman, who was diagnosed with Crohn's this fall.

"This match is important to us for two different reasons," said head coach Julie Redus. "We'd like to bring awareness to Crohn's, since it has affected our team in such a personal way with one of our own in Kaitlyn Wilson being diagnosed this fall. What better way to do that than get a win in an important conference match."
 
MC looks to return to the win column after falling 3-0 in its last contest at nationally ranked North Alabama.
 
The Lady Choctaws seek their first win over Lee University this weekend as the Flames have claimed all four matches in the series, including a 3-1 victory on Nov. 13, 2015 in Clinton.
 
Jenna Campbell leads MC with 128 kills on the season while Kayana Mitchell, the squad's kills leader last season, closes in on the 100-kill plateau with 91 on the season. Mitchell, a native of Southaven, Miss., ranks among the kills leaders in program history as she ranks 10th with 430.
 
Bailee Berringer and Sydney Chandler continue to direct the offensive effort. Berringer leads the team with 250 while Chandler has totaled 230 assists. Each rank among the career leaders in assists as Chandler, from Silverhill, Ala., sits second in school history with 1,058 while the Dickinson, Texas, sophomore product ranks seventh with 731.
 
Defensively, Madison Kimes paces the team with 212, which ranks fourth in the Gulf South Conference and seventh in digs per set (4.00). Kayana Mitchell ranks seventh in the conference in blocks with 46 while Jamila Biglow is eighth with 40 on the season. Mitchell ranks among the leaders in school history with 145 blocks assists - fifth - and 180 total blocks - sixth.
 
Lee enters the weekend match with a 6-8 record and 3-6 in the GSC after the Flames claimed a 3-1 win over Shorter University on Thursday evening.
 
Silvia Sartori leads LU with 174 kills on the season while Brooke Wilsman has 129. Sadie Johnson and Kristi Farley has combined for 545 of the Flames' 602 assists on the campaign. Johnson has a team-best 305.
 
MaKayla Beebe, Catherine Conley and Crystal Dedes guide the defensive effort. Beebe paces the team with 203 digs while Conley has a team-best 33 blocks along with Dedes' 32 blocks.