Preseason Update: September 18
September 18, 2020 | Volleyball
Mississippi State volleyball is less than a month away from kicking off its 2020 fall season on October 17 when it hosts Arkansas for a two-match home series at the Newell-Grissom Building. Earlier this week, ESPN announced that the Bulldogs would be featured in five nationally televised contests this fall. More information on MSU volleyball's fall slate and television schedule can be found here.
State fans will be able participate in home gamedays in a new and safe way this fall, as Maroon Memories introduced "State Stand-Ins" this week, stadium cutouts that will fill the Newell-Grissom Building. More information on how to purchase is available via MaroonMemories.com.
MSU volleyball head coach Julie Darty Dennis gives an update on the team's progress as the Bulldogs approach the start of the fall season.
Q: Since the spring, what areas has your team grown in that you're most proud of?
JDD: Communication, Composure and Cohesion. We are living in difficult times right now, and our team is adapting and adjusting really well. We recognize that this is a tough time to try to play your sport, but I really see each of our student-athletes working hard to do their part in keeping themselves and each other safe and healthy, while also enjoying the time they get to play their sport. We have not lost sight of the fact that we have an amazing opportunity in front of us this fall. We get to play our sport. We don't have to wait until the spring to do that, and I think that is something they are holding onto!
The team is communicating really well right now, too. There is a lot going on and a lot of moving parts, and we are all being up front and honest with each other. That's huge in terms of our communication with one another and helps us stick together through this time.
Q: The year 2020 has brought a lot of challenges. How has the team faced those challenges, and how have those challenges affected the team dynamic?
JDD: 2020 certainly has been challenging, but we have stuck together through it all. I am really proud of this group. We are out of our comfort zone, and we are adapting. We are just taking it one day at a time, one practice at a time. I am proud of our team for their willingness to get to know each other on a deeper level and really come together when they step on the court. We are taking every opportunity in the gym seriously and making the most of this time we have.
Q: With a little less than a month away from the first match of the season, describe the excitement level of being able to compete again…
JDD: To be honest, it's been really weird not playing on fall weekends, so the anticipation is definitely growing. We have a countdown in our gym as a fun little reminder for them. They see it every day when they walk into the gym and onto the court. I know they are pumped, but I also know there are probably a lot of nerves, and that's OK. It's going to be a bit different this fall, but we are focused on preparing them for competing in the sport they love. It will be so much fun to compete and play, and we just keep reminding them of that!
After a solid 2018 sophomore season in which she led the team with 413 digs, Kendall Murr missed all of 2019 due to injury. Now fully recovered, Murr is ready for her senior season in which she will serve as a team captain for the second straight year. Murr also played under Darty Dennis as a freshman at Jacksonville, and transferred to MSU when Darty Dennis took the head coaching job in 2018.
Q: The season is a month away. It's been a long time since you last played in a competitive match. What's your excitement level?
KM: I'm beyond excited. Practicing in the gym every single day whether it's for an hour or three hours, however long we go, I am just so ecstatic to be here and to work hard and take this opportunity to play.
At first, we were just so excited to practice. Then we finally got the start date, and that's when it became real and it was like, ok, game on. Here we go. Everyone is so excited and our eyes are just focused on October 17.
Q: How has this group faced the challenges of 2020?
KM: We've just leaned on each other and talked to each other and become closer through everything that's happened [...] We have each other as a team of 16 girls, and I know that I can look to my right or my left and know that they have my back and I have theirs.
Q: Since the spring, what are some things that the team has improved on? What have you improved on?
KM: Since there's so many more of us from the spring, [it's] just being more competitive. Now we have depth on our roster, and we know that it's go time. You have competition in every single position. That's really made us better as a team.
Personally, I feel like I'm a lot grittier and I'm a lot more willing to go get the ball and I have a lot more confidence in myself this season just knowing that I am a senior. I look to myself as a leader.
Q: When you look at preseasons prior - 2018, 2019 - and now 2020, what are the differences?
KM: It is so crazy to think back. Obviously, this year looks so much different. I just think the mindset changes every year and we gain more confidence each year just buying into this program. Each year you can just see change. No matter what practice looks like or how many days of the week we practice or how many times a day we practice, our mindset has fixed on being the best team we can be.
Freshman Francesca McBride is getting set to kick off her collegiate career. The 6-foot-3 right side hitter from Troy, Michigan arrived in Starkville in January and was able to participate in spring practices.
Q: How have you grown since joining the team in the spring? How has the team grown since the spring?
FM: My confidence has gone up. I'm more adjusted to college and working out and everything. I've been able to work on my technique and work out all the little kinks from high school and club, so I feel more confident and prepared for game play.
I feel like there's a lot more communication about what we want out of the season and what we want out of each other as far as being teammates and on the court as well.
Q: How has this group faced the challenges of 2020?
FM: We've adapted really well for a lot of the stuff that has happened. We continued to communicate, of course, and stayed aware of where we each were mentally and physically. We adjusted. We adapted.
Q: How excited are you for your first season in collegiate volleyball?
FM: I'm excited, a little bit anxious, a little bit nervous. Once I start playing, it kind of goes away. It's a learning experience for me.
Q: Being from Michigan, you're far from home. What has that experience been like so far?
FM: It's weird because my family is so far away. I really miss my cat. And the weather's really different. When it gets cold here, man, it reminds me of home. I do miss cold weather. Other than that, I've just been trying to adjust. [It has been a difficult adjustment] at times, but it's gotten better. I have learned a couple of things along the way and I'm still continuing to learn.
State fans will be able participate in home gamedays in a new and safe way this fall, as Maroon Memories introduced "State Stand-Ins" this week, stadium cutouts that will fill the Newell-Grissom Building. More information on how to purchase is available via MaroonMemories.com.
MSU volleyball head coach Julie Darty Dennis gives an update on the team's progress as the Bulldogs approach the start of the fall season.
Q: Since the spring, what areas has your team grown in that you're most proud of?
JDD: Communication, Composure and Cohesion. We are living in difficult times right now, and our team is adapting and adjusting really well. We recognize that this is a tough time to try to play your sport, but I really see each of our student-athletes working hard to do their part in keeping themselves and each other safe and healthy, while also enjoying the time they get to play their sport. We have not lost sight of the fact that we have an amazing opportunity in front of us this fall. We get to play our sport. We don't have to wait until the spring to do that, and I think that is something they are holding onto!
Waden Rewind ⏮ #HailState🐶 | @_thenamesgabby_ pic.twitter.com/UkESwtFSYz
— Mississippi State Volleyball (@HailStateVB) September 15, 2020
The team is communicating really well right now, too. There is a lot going on and a lot of moving parts, and we are all being up front and honest with each other. That's huge in terms of our communication with one another and helps us stick together through this time.
Q: The year 2020 has brought a lot of challenges. How has the team faced those challenges, and how have those challenges affected the team dynamic?
JDD: 2020 certainly has been challenging, but we have stuck together through it all. I am really proud of this group. We are out of our comfort zone, and we are adapting. We are just taking it one day at a time, one practice at a time. I am proud of our team for their willingness to get to know each other on a deeper level and really come together when they step on the court. We are taking every opportunity in the gym seriously and making the most of this time we have.
Q: With a little less than a month away from the first match of the season, describe the excitement level of being able to compete again…
JDD: To be honest, it's been really weird not playing on fall weekends, so the anticipation is definitely growing. We have a countdown in our gym as a fun little reminder for them. They see it every day when they walk into the gym and onto the court. I know they are pumped, but I also know there are probably a lot of nerves, and that's OK. It's going to be a bit different this fall, but we are focused on preparing them for competing in the sport they love. It will be so much fun to compete and play, and we just keep reminding them of that!
After a solid 2018 sophomore season in which she led the team with 413 digs, Kendall Murr missed all of 2019 due to injury. Now fully recovered, Murr is ready for her senior season in which she will serve as a team captain for the second straight year. Murr also played under Darty Dennis as a freshman at Jacksonville, and transferred to MSU when Darty Dennis took the head coaching job in 2018.
Q: The season is a month away. It's been a long time since you last played in a competitive match. What's your excitement level?
KM: I'm beyond excited. Practicing in the gym every single day whether it's for an hour or three hours, however long we go, I am just so ecstatic to be here and to work hard and take this opportunity to play.
At first, we were just so excited to practice. Then we finally got the start date, and that's when it became real and it was like, ok, game on. Here we go. Everyone is so excited and our eyes are just focused on October 17.
Q: How has this group faced the challenges of 2020?
KM: We've just leaned on each other and talked to each other and become closer through everything that's happened [...] We have each other as a team of 16 girls, and I know that I can look to my right or my left and know that they have my back and I have theirs.
Q: Since the spring, what are some things that the team has improved on? What have you improved on?
KM: Since there's so many more of us from the spring, [it's] just being more competitive. Now we have depth on our roster, and we know that it's go time. You have competition in every single position. That's really made us better as a team.
Personally, I feel like I'm a lot grittier and I'm a lot more willing to go get the ball and I have a lot more confidence in myself this season just knowing that I am a senior. I look to myself as a leader.
Q: When you look at preseasons prior - 2018, 2019 - and now 2020, what are the differences?
KM: It is so crazy to think back. Obviously, this year looks so much different. I just think the mindset changes every year and we gain more confidence each year just buying into this program. Each year you can just see change. No matter what practice looks like or how many days of the week we practice or how many times a day we practice, our mindset has fixed on being the best team we can be.
Freshman Francesca McBride is getting set to kick off her collegiate career. The 6-foot-3 right side hitter from Troy, Michigan arrived in Starkville in January and was able to participate in spring practices.
Q: How have you grown since joining the team in the spring? How has the team grown since the spring?
FM: My confidence has gone up. I'm more adjusted to college and working out and everything. I've been able to work on my technique and work out all the little kinks from high school and club, so I feel more confident and prepared for game play.
I feel like there's a lot more communication about what we want out of the season and what we want out of each other as far as being teammates and on the court as well.
Q: How has this group faced the challenges of 2020?
FM: We've adapted really well for a lot of the stuff that has happened. We continued to communicate, of course, and stayed aware of where we each were mentally and physically. We adjusted. We adapted.
Q: How excited are you for your first season in collegiate volleyball?
FM: I'm excited, a little bit anxious, a little bit nervous. Once I start playing, it kind of goes away. It's a learning experience for me.
Q: Being from Michigan, you're far from home. What has that experience been like so far?
FM: It's weird because my family is so far away. I really miss my cat. And the weather's really different. When it gets cold here, man, it reminds me of home. I do miss cold weather. Other than that, I've just been trying to adjust. [It has been a difficult adjustment] at times, but it's gotten better. I have learned a couple of things along the way and I'm still continuing to learn.
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