Julie Darty Dennis Named SEC Coach of the Year, Waden Earns All-SEC Honors

STARKVILLE – After leading Mississippi State to the most successful season in program history, Julie Darty Dennis has been tabbed as the 2021 SEC Coach of the Year. Dennis is the first coach in MSU volleyball history to take home SEC Coach of the Year honors.

Additionally, Gabby Waden has been named to the league's All-SEC Team for the second straight season, making her just the second back-to-back all-conference selection for the Bulldogs in school history and the first since Christine Owen was named All-SEC in 1997-98.

The All-SEC Team, which consists of 18 student-athletes along with the seven-member All-Freshman squad, were chosen by the league's head coaches.

Dennis and the Bulldogs rewrote the Mississippi State record books in 2021 after posting a 25-5 overall record and 16-2 mark in SEC play. Both win totals shattered the previous records at MSU, while the Dawgs ended the campaign ranked No. 24 in the AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, another first for the program. State ended the regular season on a high note, winning 13 straight matches (All vs. SEC opponents) to enter Selection Show Sunday with the SEC's longest active win streak. The 13-match win streak is tied for the sixth-longest active streak in the country.

Waden earned a spot on the All-SEC Team after leading the Bulldogs in almost every offensive category this season. The senior tallied a team-best 409 kills and averaged 3.41 kills per set with a .326 attacking percentage. She currently ranks in the top 10 in school history in career kills and attack percentage, while she has also led the Bulldogs in kills over the last three seasons. Waden also totaled 96 blocks on the year and ranked second on the team with an average of 0.80 blocks per set. Overall, she accounted for 459 points and 3.83 points per set. Waden has registered 1,097 kills over the course of her MSU career, making her the 11th player in program history to surpass 1,000 career kills.

The Dawgs will learn their fate for postseason play on Sunday, Nov. 28 with the NCAA Division I Volleyball selection show set to air on ESPNU at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the volleyball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'HailStateVB' on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Julie Darty Dennis Named SEC Coach of the Year, Waden Earns All-SEC Honors

Players Mentioned

Gabby Waden

Related Videos