MSU Home Opener Set For Bulldog Invitational

Starkville, Miss. – After a successful weekend on the road in Dallas at the SMU DoubleTree Invitational, Mississippi State is set to make its home debut beginning Thursday with the Bulldog Invitational.

MSU (2-1) will welcome Grambling State, Tulane, South Florida and Stephen F. Austin to Newell-Grissom this weekend, with a total of nine matches to be played.

"We're really excited to play at home this weekend," third-year coach David McFatrich said. "Coming off a tough tournament last weekend in Dallas where our young squad did some really good things, I'm pleased with the way they played together and how they support one another. We're excited for the tournament this weekend."

Kicking off the tournament is MSU and Grambling beginning Thursday at 6 p.m.

Day two will have an early start, as South Florida battles Stephen F. Austin at 10 a.m. followed by a showdown between Tulane and Grambling State at noon. The Bulldogs will take the court at 2 p.m. to face South Florida. Stephen F. Austin and Grambling come back onto the court to play in the 5 p.m. spot, as Tulane plays MSU to close out the day at 7 p.m.

On the final day of play, Mississippi State battles Stephen F. Austin with the first match at 9 a.m., with the 11 a.m. game showcasing Grambling and South Florida. The weekend closes out with Stephen F. Austin and Tulane facing off at 1 p.m.

After week one, the story is how well the team has meshed. Freshman Sara Maddox had her first career start and recorded a total of 49 kills and 50 points. Freshman Gabby Zgunda also had her first start and earned 66 digs. Senior Jelena Vujcin came out swinging, collecting 55 kills and 64.5 points.

2017 Bulldog Invitational Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 31
Mississippi State vs. Grambling State – 6 p.m.
            Live Stats: http://statb.us/b/182011
            SECNetwork+: http://hailst.at/2woR0du

Friday, Sept. 1
South Florida vs. Stephen F. Austin – 10 a.m.
            Live Stats: http://statb.us/b/182808

Tulane vs. Grambling State – Noon
            Live Stats: http://statb.us/b/182809

Mississippi State vs. South Florida – 2 p.m.
            Live Stats: http://statb.us/b/182012
            SECNetwork+: http://hailst.at/2vNakiR

Stephen F. Austin vs. Grambling State – 5 p.m.
            Live Stats: http://statb.us/b/182810

Tulane vs. Mississippi State – 7 p.m.
            Live Stats: http://statb.us/b/182013
            SECNetwork+: http://hailst.at/2vN4dv2

Saturday, Sept. 2
Stephen F. Austin v. Mississippi State – 9 a.m.
            Live Stats: http://statb.us/b/182014
            SECNetwork+: http://hailst.at/2vN2aqK

Grambling State vs. South Florida – 11 a.m.
            Live Stats: http://statb.us/b/182811

Stephen F. Austin vs. Tulane – 1 p.m.
            Live Stats: http://statb.us/b/182812

State Begins Weekend Against Grambling State
The Bulldogs and the Tigers will face off for the first time since Sept. 6, 2008. This will mark the fourth meeting between the two. MSU holds a 3-0 advantage in the series.

MSU Battles South Florida
The second match for the Bulldogs will be against the South Florida Bulls. South Florida holds the all-time record, 8-2. During the last meeting in 2010, MSU won 3-2.

Scouting The Green Wave
The Dawgs meet Tulane for the 14th time. The last meeting was in 2012, a 3-2 State win. The Green Wave holds the record in the series, 11-2.

Bulldogs Host Stephen F. Austin
MSU welcomes Stephen F. Austin to Starkville. This meeting will mark the fifth for the teams, with SFA holding a 4-0 advantage.

Scouting the Bulldogs' Foes ...
The Tigers come to Starkville 1-2. Freshman Chasity Nicks finished the game against Savannah State with 11 kills and 13.0 points. Another standout on the Tigers' roster is Linzy Woods as she earned 5 kills and 13.0 points to close out the weekend.

The Bulls come to Newell-Grissom with a 1-2 record. Doris Carter came out of the weekend leading with 17 kills and assists. Setter Briana Stowell finished the weekend with 41 assists.

The Green Wave travels to Starkville 3-1. Tulane is led by 6-3 junior Dayna Kern. This past weekend, Kern racked up 40 kills, and 48.5 points this past weekend in the Hertz Center in New Orleans. Another player to watch out for is freshman Lexie Douglas. Douglas has 40 kills, 39 digs and 46.0 points this season.

The Ladyjacks are 2-1 and are led by sophomore Shayla Eagleton. Eagleton has an attack percentage of .750m. That percentage is the second-best-single match hitting percentage for a Division I volleyball player with 20 or more attacks.

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."

MSU Home Opener Set For Bulldog Invitational

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Sara Maddox

Jelena Vujcin

Gabby Zgunda

Mississippi State University Athletics