MSU Volleyball has begun a new era under first-year head coach Jenny Hazelwood. Hazelwood, and her squad open the MSU fall season against Jackson State for the Maroon Classic today at 7 p.m. in Newell-Grissom. The Lady Bulldogs host McNeese State and Arkansas Little-Rock Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.
No stranger to MSU, Hazelwood played from 1996-1999 and graduated in 2000 from State. The Pearland, Texas native set records at MSU for assists in a career, a season and a match.
She returns to her alma mater a decade later after coaching nine seasons, ready to turn MSU’s program around.
“It has been wonderful to be back. MSU is a special place, and I have never stopped following it,” Hazelwood said. “The experience my husband (Brian Hazelwood, former MSU kicker) and I had was great.”
Athletic Director Greg Byrne said Hazelwood, introduced as head coach in January as the 10th coach in volleyball’s 35-year history, brings a lot of excitement and passion.
“Early in the process of finding a new coach, Jenny was a great fit for us, and she has a great track record,” he said. “We were very excited to bring her back home.”
She has set an ambitious, yet holistic goal for her team, which started during spring individual evaluations. Senior setter Dorey Gray said the team wanted to win the western division of the SEC in 2009. To feed on Gray’s enthusiasm, Hazelwood has created wristbands with “W t W”, win the west, to remind players and coaches the goal, over the summer of the goal.
“This season is going to be fantastic. Our goal as a team is to win the west of the SEC and to make it to the NCAA tournament, which it is going to happen,” she said.
After a 6-win season in 2008, Hazelwood said the statement is pretty bold, but she feels high standards yield results. She said she likes the chance her team has in an inexperienced division.
MSU returns 10 out of 14 players who drew starting assignments last fall.
Three players that will prove crucial to the Lady Bulldogs are team captains Gray, senior outside hitter Ioana Demian and junior middle blocker Ashley Newsome.
Hazelwood encouraged students to come to games, which are free.
“[Newell-Grissom] is right here by fraternity row, so we want our student fans to be our strongest base,” she said. “This team represents the student body wherever we go with class, so it means so much to these girls when students take pride in supporting them at home games.”