The end of August is here, which brings the start of a new season for head coach Jenny Hazelwood and the Mississippi State volleyball team.
The Dawgs open their season at home this weekend with four games in the Maroon Classic.
Hazelwood is entering her second season at the helm of the program, and this time last year, the girls were still learning the style of their new coach; but with one year under their belt, Hazelwood said the team is more comfortable and ready for game action.
“This year has been more of being able to take this program to the next level,” Hazelwood said. “This year the biggest difference has been we’re not having to teach everybody everything,”
Leading the way for the Bulldogs this season are seniors Kayla Woodard and Ashley Newsome. Woodard’s scrappiness at the libero position allows her to control the defensive part of the game, while Newsome’s 6’1″ frame dominates the offense.
Woodard said the two have enjoyed their newly acquired leadership on the team.
“I didn’t really realize it until we started preseason two-a-day practices where we really started to take that role,” Woodard said. “I had to step it up, and Ashley did, because we had to pick it up for the younger girls to get through the new drills. I just lead by example.”
Newsome said she has realized the importance of the entire team pushing each other.
“I feel like we all step up and lead,” she said. “We’ve all had a year, except the freshmen, with Jenny, so we all know what she expects, so I guess we’ve all picked up the slack of being leaders on the team.”
Practice for the season started at the beginning of July. The captains ran practice on their own for over a month until the coaches began on Aug. 9.
Hazelwood said she has been very impressed with her team’s work throughout the offseason.
“We had a really strong preseason with two-a-days, and now that we have started and we’re in our normal practice routine the girls are doing a great job,” she said. “We have improved in every area. I am really pleased heading into our first weekend.”
Hazelwood, who played at MSU from 1996-99, left her post as the head coach at Austin Peay to become the head coach of the Bulldogs. Now she will face her former team this weekend.
Hazelwood said it could be similar to when football coach Dan Mullen faced his former team, the Florida Gators, last fall.
“[Austin Peay] are going to be highly motivated,” Hazelwood said. “They’re going to want to beat us, and of course, we want to win every match we play. They are a good, tough team, but I am very familiar with those players and their strengths and weaknesses, so I think we’ve got a little bit of an advantage there.”
Speaking of Mullen, Hazelwood’s fellow second-year coach will be on the bench with her Saturday as a guest coach for the match against Montana. Hazelwood said both she and the team are excited about it.
“I think it will be fun for our girls and good for our program, and I think he will enjoy it just to see a different sport and what it’s like,” she said. “We’re looking forward to it.”
The team begins its season Friday afternoon at 12:30 against Arkansas-Little Rock, and then face Hazelwood’s former club Austin Peay at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Play continues Saturday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 12:30 p.m., and the final match of the weekend is with Montana at 7:30 p.m. with Mullen on the bench.