Year Two Of McFatrich Era Begins Friday Against No. 5 Kansas

STARKVILLE, Miss. – When they last took the court, they walked off with a winning record for the first time since 2006. On Friday, the Mississippi State volleyball Bulldogs return to Newell-Grissom looking to continue their success as they begin the 2016 campaign against the No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks.

First serve for the season opener is set for 7 p.m. CT, with an online broadcast on SEC Network +. Bart Gregory and Blake DuDonis will have the call and fans can access the broadcast by going to WatchESPN.com.

Before the Bulldogs and Jayhawks take the court, the Lamar Cardinals and Eastern Washington Eagles will square off in the Bulldog Invitational opener at 5 p.m. Play resumes Saturday at 10 a.m., as Kansas and Eastern Washington face off. The Bulldogs will take on Lamar at noon, followed by a Jayhawks-Cardinals battle at 5 p.m. The tournament will conclude at 7 p.m., with the Bulldogs and Eagles taking the court.

MSU will end the opening weekend with a Sunday contest against McNeese State, set to begin at 2 p.m.

"Cannot say enough how excited we are to get this season rolling," McFatrich said. "We've worked extremely hard this preseason with August 26 on our minds. Now it's here and we are more than ready to hit that court. These girls have worked hard day in and day out, but I know they're ready to finally play someone other than themselves."

"We're ready for the challenge this weekend brings, especially with No. 5 Kansas. It's a tough task, but I know these girls will be ready when the first ball is served tomorrow night."

2016 Bulldog Invitational Schedule:
Friday, Aug. 26
Eastern Washington vs. Lamar – 5 p.m.
Mississippi State vs. Kansas – 7 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 27
Kansas vs. Eastern Washington – 10 a.m.
Mississippi State vs. Lamar – 12 p.m.
Lamar vs. Kansas – 5 p.m.
Mississippi State vs. Eastern Washington – 7 p.m.

Last Time Out:
The Bulldogs played their final tune-up of the year on Monday, as they held their annual Maroon & White Scrimmage. The Maroon squad, led by freshman setter Riley Duzenack, took the first two sets of the night. White fired back in the third, but could not complete the comeback, as Maroon took the match, 3-1.

Scouting The Jayhawks:
Kansas comes into the weekend as the No. 5 team in the nation, according to the AVCA's preseason poll. The Jayhawks finished last season just shy of the NCAA National Championship match, dropping a national semifinals contest to eventual national champion Nebraska. Friday will mark the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

Scouting The Cardinals:
Lamar enters the 2016 Bulldog Invitational looking to build off a 14-16 record in 2015. The Cardinals started last season winning 12 of their first 17 matches before tailing off late in the season and dropping 11 of their last 13. This weekend will be the fourth meeting between Lamar and State, with MSU holding a perfect 3-0 record all time. The last meeting came in 2011, a 3-0 MSU victory at Lamar.

Scouting The Eagles:
Eastern Washington will make their first trip to Starkville and first contest against the Bulldogs this weekend, looking to improve from a 14-14 record last season. The Eagles did go 9-7 in the Big Sky, their first winning conference record since 2011. Head coach Michael King is entering his first full season as head coach of the Eagles after spending the 2014 season and part of last year as the team's interim head coach.

Scouting The Cowgirls:
McNeese State will take part in the Southern Miss Invitational before heading to Starkville on Sunday to close out opening weekend. The Cowgirls return eight players from last year's squad, including three seniors. McNeese State went 15-18 last season, including winning five of its last seven. The series between the two squads is split at 2-2, with McNeese State claiming the last two matches (2008 and 2009).

Live Video:
All of Mississippi State's matches will be broadcasted on SEC Network +.

MSU vs. Kansas
MSU vs. Lamar
MSU vs. Eastern Washington
MSU vs. McNeese State

Live Stats:
Mississippi State will provide live stats for all seven matches this weekend. Live stats can be found here or by visiting HailState.com.

Admission:
All matches at Newell-Grissom this weekend, as well as the entire season, are free admission.

Promotions:
A list of this weekend's promotions are listed below.

Friday, Aug. 26
MSU vs. Kansas (7 p.m.):
- "Freshmen Take The Griss": FREE t-shirts for MSU freshmen
- "Free Pizza Friday" while supplies last
- Contests during break for MSU prizes
- Double Hail State Rewards points

Saturday, Aug. 27
MSU vs. Lamar (12 p.m.):
- "Bully's Kids' Club Day": Free Bully bobbleheads while they last
- Kids' Zone
- Contests during break for MSU prizes

MSU vs. Eastern Washington (7 p.m.):
- Contests during break for MSU prizes

Sunday, Aug. 28
MSU vs. McNeese State (2 p.m.)
- Contests during break for MSU prizes

Social Media:
For more information on Mississippi State volleyball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateVB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."

Year Two Of McFatrich Era Begins Friday Against No. 5 Kansas

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Players Mentioned

Riley Duzenack

Mississippi State University Athletics