Despite seven consecutive losses, the morale of the Mississippi State volleyball team is high as the Lady Bulldogs look forward to the upcoming weekend with games against SEC opponents Georgia, 6-10 in SEC play, and Auburn, 4-12 in SEC play. 
After falling to two conference powerhouses last weekend — Kentucky and Tennessee — MSU players and head coach Jenny Hazelwood believe the team is prepared and ready to snap their losing stretch this weekend, assuming the girls stay motivated and healthy.
To keep the team spirit high, players and coaches have chosen to focus on their season accomplishments instead of dwelling on the negatives of their recent losing streak.
“We’ve had some tough losses, but they’ve been against some of the best teams in the league,” Hazelwood said. “The girls have to stay focused on the good things that we’ve done and then really work hard to improve on some of the areas we’ve struggled in.”
So far in the 2011-2012 season, the Lady Bulldogs have surpassed several individual and team records. In the Oct. 14 game against Kentucky, the Lady Bulldogs beat the No. 25 Wildcats 3-0, MSU’s first win over a ranked opponent, before a record-setting number of fans. As part of Maroon Madness, Humphrey Coliseum hosted 4,535 fans — a school and state of Mississippi record attendance.
Several individual players have also broken school records. Freshman middle blocker Lainey Wyman needs only five more blocks to establish a new school record for blocks by a freshman. Wyman currently has 90 blocks.
Senior outside hitter Caitlin Rance and sophomore setter Paris Perret have climbed into career top 10 in kills. Rance is currently 8th with 1,084 kills, while Perret is 6th with 1,887 assists.
As a leader on the boards and on the court, Rance realizes the potential of her team as the end of regular season play draws near. 
“Everyone in the SEC has obviously gotten better, and we’ve gotten better. We just haven’t been playing at a consistent level,” Rance said. “We have our ups and downs in games, and that’s what’s keeping us from winning them.”
In the upcoming weekend, Rance will likely surpass her career-best 2010 kills, moving her up to 7th among MSU’s career leaders in kills. Rance is currently ranked second in the SEC with 372 kills.
With this motivation and focus, the team is joining together in efforts to maintain consistency during its final four games of regular season play. According to senior middle blocker Hannah Wilkinson, the entire team is coming together in new ways to meet this goal.
“The younger girls are being really supportive and we’re all trying to push each other because we know that these are teams that, if we play our game, we can beat,” Wilkinson said.
In the first round of games against these teams, MSU fell to the Georgia Bulldogs 0-3 but defeated Auburn 3-2.
With several injuries on the team, it would seem as though proper preparation for the end of the season may be hindered. But Wilkinson puts the team’s physical weariness and overall fatigue into perspective.
“At the end of the season, everything hurts. You’re a thousand years old; your knees ache when you walk from point A to point B,” she said. “But you know that’s no different from any team in the SEC. Everyone who’s playing volleyball right now feels the exact same way, so there’s no ‘poor me’ kind of situation.”
As MSU faces two teams that — according to Hazelwood — play with a lot of heart, the Lady Bulldogs plan to battle with consistency, focus and purpose this weekend.
“Things aren’t going to just happen,” Hazelwood said. “You have to make them happen and be intentional about that.”
The Dogs play in Athens, Ga., on Friday and then travel to Auburn, Ala., for a Sunday afternoon game.