HailStateVB Senior Feature: Emily Howard
November 24, 2015 | Volleyball
For the remainder of the 2015 season, HailState.com will take you through the journey of each of the five MSU volleyball seniors. Today, we continue our five-part series with a look at senior middle blocker and Georgetown, Texas native Emily Howard.
By: John Galatas, MSU Media Relations
Bulldog senior Emily Howard has always served as a leader on and off the court. From success during her high school career, to her journey to Mississippi State, the senior is proud to have experienced life-long memories in her new home.
The Georgetown, Texas native enjoyed a stellar high school career as a three-sport standout at Georgetown High School. She was named First Team All-District and Offensive Team MVP en route to leading her team to a District Championship in 2011. She decided to attend the University of Houston, about a three-hour trip from her hometown, to continue playing volleyball.
Howard thrived on the court her first two years at Houston, appearing in 56 games and drawing 46 starts. As a freshman, she tallied 144 kills, and she ranked second on the team in attacking percentage (.241) and total blocks (88). Following her impressive first year as a Cougar, she was named to the 2012 Conference USA All-Freshman Team along with being tabbed All-American Athletic Conference the following preseason.
After her second season, she decided to transfer. After looking for a competitive program with a more familial atmosphere, Howard found Mississippi State and felt she found home.
"I grew up in a smaller town and felt like a little fish in a huge pond (at Houston). I wanted something like you're still playing with the best in the SEC but you still get that small-town feel," she said. "When I visited Mississippi State it was the perfect fit. You still get the competitive volleyball, but there is that small-town atmosphere. Everyone is more of a family here."
She quickly became comfortable in her first season in Maroon and White. She appeared in 26 matches as a junior and was one of five Bulldogs to record over 100 kills during the season.
Now in her senior season, she not only is a leader for the Bulldog offense, but she also takes pride in leading by example and coaching her teammates on and off the court.
"Once you're a senior you start to understand all the little things that you didn't as a freshman," she said. "It's about teaching the freshmen the little things – showing them how to do it, so they learn not just what you say but how you do it as well."
One of her most cherished memories off the court came just a few weeks ago, when her boyfriend, Taylor Cobb, proposed before the football game against Alabama. Cobb and Howard met at Houston, where Cobb was a pitcher on the Cougars' baseball team and was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels this past June.
"It was right after the Dog Walk. I had no idea what was going on. He pulled me onto the pathway and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. I said yes," she recalled joyfully. "It was a really special moment because Mississippi State means a lot to me. Doing it here was so meaningful."
The public relations major added that she would like to continue her volleyball career, either overseas or serving in a graduate assistant coaching position. Although her time in Maroon in White is coming to a close, she said there are countless moments she will never forget.
On the court, Howard recollects beating LSU in a five-set thriller a season ago as one of her favorite highlights as a Bulldog. She also reveled in competing against annual power Penn State earlier this year in the Golden Dome Invitational.
Overall, though, Howard said the time spent with her teammates and new family is what she will cherish the most.
"It's the family atmosphere. The bus rides and traveling with the team. It's always fun," she said. "You always have inside jokes and things like that. That was always so much fun."
