When you walk into the Newell-Grissom building, you can see a sports program under construction, being rebuilt from the ground up. This year is the year the Mississippi State University’s volleyball program is laying the foundation for a successful future. The woman in charge of orchestrating this movement toward success is first-year MSU volleyball head coach, Julie Darty.
“This spring, there was a limited number of us because we did not have a lot of depth from last year,” Darty said. “We added 11 new players this fall, and that was my biggest concern–that was team chemistry. Now I feel like we are 18-strong, and we have got a lot of pieces we can move around, and play a lot of different roles.”
As for the newest editions to the team, seven of the 11 newcomers are freshmen. Darty believes these young additions have been able to make the team better, as they can offer some knowledge on the game which some of the older players might not have.
“It has been interesting because a lot of the freshmen came in with maybe a little bit higher of a volleyball IQ than some of the older players,” Darty said. “They have been really good at coaching each other, and we are asking them to be able to not take that feedback personally. Just take the message, not the tone, and just get better from it.”
The team also added four transfers out of the 11 newcomers, and they have been able to bond well over the summer break, as the teammates were in Starkville for summer classes and training.
“We have got a lot of upperclassmen who are new here because they are transfers,” Darty said. “They might need to lean on some of the younger kids who have been here a year longer. Now they know each other and they trust each other, and there is a lot of love. Now we can push the balls up and play volleyball together.”
Darty said their preseason scrimmage showed how this team has a lot of energy and how they like to have fun on the court with each other. She also said the team will be trying to connect more with the community.
“I think the Maroon and White Scrimmage was a great showing,” Darty said. “Meaning, we are faster, stronger and we are super energetic. We are loud and we are a fun group. I just think people are going to get know us and know our personalities, as well as the types of players we have, because we are trying to engage with our fans, and our friends and family a lot more.”
The season opened up with a volleyball tournament at the team’s home court this past weekend, but there will be many opportunities for fans and students to go to games and be a part of the unique atmosphere.
“When you get people in this gym, its loud and it’s hard to hear, and it gets crazy,” Darty said. “So if we just have people who know us and care about us, and are invested in us this first season. We are not expecting to change the world this first year, we just know we need to get people here who are on our side and at every game, no matter what.”
When fans first walk into the gym this season, they may be taken back by the new graphics on the walls and the new video boards that replaced the outdated scoreboards. These are all things Darty has brought in to improve the experience for Bulldog fans.
“We changed the whole look in here to really reflect the Starkvegas vibe, and just cleaned it up a little bit,” Darty said. “It is brighter, a lot of gray, a lot of maroon. The gym is old, but I love this gym and I wanted to make it feel fresher and newer.”
The room for improvement does not stop at the gym, it extends to the team, who finished last year’s season with a record of 10-23 and 1-17 in conference. Darty said the team is picked to finish last this season, so they can either meet expectations or surpass them.
“I have a number in my head that I think is very realistic and very obtainable,” Darty said. “But at the end of the day, if we can win one more SEC match than we did in 2017, that is doubling our win total.”
The goals for the team go beyond just winning one more game than they did last year, but Darty also wants to build something to last a long time at MSU, and she wants to stay as long as she can to make sure this happens.
“I know for this to be sustainable, it is going to take some time,” Darty said. “I know I want this to be my end-all-be-all job. There is not more that I want to do in my coaching career than stay in the SEC and be here for a really long time, and turn this into something.”
Darty said she thinks the team can meet at least one goal, and she really thinks the team is ready to go out on the court.
“In December, I hope I can look back and say we met at least one of those benchmark goals that either our team or staff put out there for us,” Darty said. “I really think we will, I think we are pouring into them. We are preparing and practicing the things that we need to feel confident and good about on the court.”
She said this year’s team knows they are the team which will set the tone and temperament for those players to come. They are helping lay down a foundation in Newell-Grissom, one that may allow the program to go to places they have never been before.
“This team understands that the 2018 Bulldog team might not make the NCAA tournament,” Darty said. “But they are going to be the driving force for the team in four or five years from now that actually does. They are helping us lay down that foundation with the culture.”
As for the expectations for the program, Darty said the players and staff know how low the standard currently is, but they hope they can rise to the challenges they have set, and make a long-lasting impact on the program.
“I think we are a little more aware that the standard is so low,” Darty said. “We have never made an NCAA tournament, we have had eight winning seasons in the history of the program. So we have the chance to change that.”
