CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College volleyball team returns to action this weekend with a trio of matches on the ledger. MC opens the slate on Friday, Oct. 12 in Cleveland, Tenn., at Lee University to open a pair of Gulf South Conference contests. First serve is set for 6 p.m. The Choctaws travel to Rome, Ga., for a pair of matches on Saturday, Oct. 13. The action starts against Shorter University at 11 a.m. with the Navy and Gold closing out the weekend in non-conference play against Sunshine State Conference member, Flagler College, at 2 p.m. All times are central.
LEE SERIES: Mississippi College looks for its first win in series history against Lee University. Lee holds the advantage at 7-0 after sweeping the Choctaws in their only meeting last season.
BREAKING DOWN THE FLAMES: Â Lee enters the weekend having won its last outing in straight sets fashion over Auburn Montgomery. The victory snapped a two-game skid. LU is led by a pair of Preseason All-GSC selections as Silvia Sartori leads the Flames with 302 kills while MaKayla Beebe paces the squad with 426 digs this season.Â
SHORTER SERIES: Mississippi College looks for its first win in series history against Shorter University. Shorter holds the advantage at 7-0 after sweeping the Choctaws in their only meeting last season.
BREAKING DOWN THE HAWKS: Shorter dropped its last contest as it fell in straight sets to nationally-ranked West Florida and snapped a three-match win streak. Annie Homan paces the Hawks offensively with 143 kills while Paris Buckner ranks second on the team with 108. Buckner also leads the team in blocks with 42 on the campaign.
FLAGLER SERIES: Saturday marks the second meeting in school history with Flagler College. The two squads played last season in the in the NCAA South Region Crossover with the Saints taking a four-set victory.
BREAKING DOWN THE SAINTS: Flagler is riding a two-match win streak coming into the weekend with a five-set win at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and a straight sets decision at Francis Marion University. The Saints are led by a pair of 200-plus kill performers in Karlie Redfern and Raquel Kulak. Redfern leads the squad with 231 kills while Kulak has gathered 203. Kulak also paces FC with 59 total blocks.
LAURENDINE RECORDS SECOND TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Freshman
Lexie Laurendine became the first Choctaw in program history to record two triple-doubles. The Clinton, Miss., native totaled 11 kills, 28 assists and 13 digs in the setback at Loyola. The feat comes on the heels of her first collegiate triple-double set against the University on Montevallo on Oct. 6.
BROWN IN THE RECORD BOOK: Senior
Jill Brown etched her name in the Mississippi College record book as the Elkhart, Ind., native recorded her 623rd career dig to move into 10th in school history. Brown sat just outside the top 10 in career digs entering the match at Loyola. Robyn Faulkner sits in ninth with 689 career digs. Brown, with her 360 digs this season, sits eighth on the single-season.
PLATT SETS SIGHTS ON SINGLE-SEASON KILLS MARK: Freshman
Kendall Platt moved up to a tie for fourth in single-season kills after a 12-kill performance at Loyola on Tuesday evening. Platt is tied with former Choctaw Rebecca Crane, who reached the mark in 2004. Crane also holds the third-highest total set in 2006. Platt is is 34 kills from the top three in single-season kills. Liz Mullin (1994) holds the single-season kill record with 410 while Chandra Landry (1996) is second with 372.Â
BOROS MOVES ONTO SINGLE-SEASON KILLS LIST: Freshman
Jamie Boros moved onto the Mississippi College single-season top 10 kill list with 14 kills at Loyola on Tuesday evening. Boros is tied with former Choctaw
Krista Zieschang in 10th with 223 kills this season.
MAYS EYES CAREER KILL LIST: Redshirt junior
Shelby Grace Mays reached the 500-kill plateau on Saturday against the University of Montevallo and stands three kills short of reaching the career kills list. The Arab, Ala., product registered seven kills at Loyola on Tuesday, Oct. Chandra Landry (1994, 1996) holds the 10th spot with 510 kills with Nicole Horton (2010-13) in ninth with 520 and
Krista Zieschang (2014-17) in eighth with 526.
YOUTHFUL ABUNDANCE: Mississippi College stands as the third, youngest volleyball team in Division II this season. The Choctaws are the youngest team in the Gulf South Conference barely edging out Union University with five sophomores, two juniors and a senior along with the 11 freshmen. Union has three sophomores, three juniors and two seniors on their squad. Bloomsburg (Pa.) University leads Division II with 23 freshmen following by Tusculum (Tenn.) University has 15 freshmen on their 2018 roster.
1. Bloomsburg-23
2. Tusculum-15
3.
Mississippi College, Minnesota State-Moorhead, Tiffin, Union and West Virginia Wesleyan-11
Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and will be competing for conference and national championships beginning with the 2016-17 academic year.
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The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
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For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contactÂ
David Nichols at 601-925-3234 orÂ
nichols@mc.edu.
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