Volleyball Adds Five Transfers to 2024 Roster

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State Head Volleyball Coach Julie Darty Dennis has announced five transfers that will be joining the Bulldogs program for the 2024 season. Joining the 2024 squad are Mele Corral-Blagojevich, Arianna Beckham, Kennedy Davis, Cecilia Harness and Kailin Newsome. The transfer class flaunts plenty of experience, as three of the players have more than four years of collegiate volleyball under their wing.

"This is a very experienced, and mature group of players we are bringing in," Dennis said. "Experience is so important at this level. We are looking forward to these young women coming in and immediately impacting and program. I think they are each individually wonderful people, but they are equally great volleyball players, and they really complement our team and complete our roster for this fall. We are really excited to welcome them to StarkVegas!"

Beckham, a junior from Atlanta, joins the Bulldogs after two seasons at Florida Atlantic. Last season as a sophomore for the Owls, Beckham ranked first among the team in kills (351), second in blocks (74) and fifth in digs (199). She played in all 73 sets for FAU, one of five players to do such.

"Ari is an explosive, dynamic player that is super fun to watch. She can play on the left or the right pin and has a big arm. Ari is feisty and wants to get after it; she is a competitor through and through. I love Ari's energy and competitive spirit," Dennis said about Beckham.

Corral-Blagojevich joins the program after an impressive freshman campaign at Oklahoma. In her first season of collegiate volleyball, the outside hitter appeared in all but one match for the Sooners, while drawing 10 starts. She was one of five players for Oklahoma to play in at least 100 sets. She ranked second among the team in service aces (24) and third in digs (173).

"Mele is a great volleyball player. She understands the game and has a high volleyball IQ. Her serve is what people are going to immediately notice and it will help us generate points from the service line. Mele has a great platform, she has awesome ball control, but she also has a heavy arm and wants to attack with intent to score. I'm excited about the next few years we have with Mele and to watch the impact she makes on our program," Dennis said about Corral-Blagojevich.

Davis, a middle blocker from St. Louis, proved effective during her time at Tennessee State. Last season, she started in all 28 of Tigers' matches. She led the team with 109 blocks last season and has accumulated 351 in her career. Davis also ranked fourth among the Tigers in kills (144).

"Experience is huge as a middle blocker, and Kennedy has that. Her experience and desire to work hard and compete will help our gym immediately. I am excited for Kennedy to join us and add some depth to our roster. Kennedy will be a great teammate and will push all of those around her," Dennis said about Davis.

Harness heads to Starkville as a graduate transfer after spending the past two seasons at North Texas. The setter started in all 30 of 33 matches last season, as she led the team with 681 assists and averaged 5.49 assists per set. In her four-year career, she has collected 2,163 assists. Harness also ranked third on the team in digs (241) last season.

"Ceci is a dynamic setter who can better the ball and put-up hittable sets from all over the court. Her speed and athleticism will help us stay in-system and her leadership is going to be huge for us this year. She plays aggressive defense and is just a fiery competitor. We have a couple younger setters on our roster right now so I am really excited to see how Ceci can lead and influence them, too," Dennis said about Harness.

Newsome is the final transfer addition to the Mississippi State roster. Newsome brings numerous honors from Southeastern Louisiana, as she has been named a first-team All-Southland selection three times in her career. She was also named the 2020 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year. Last season, she led the Lions in numerous categories. Most notably, Newsome led the squad in kills with 453 total, which marked the second season in a row she picked up at least 450 kills. She also led the team in service aces (50) and points (519), while ranking second in digs (317).

"Kailin is a savvy outside hitter who knows how to score. She can move the ball around in creative ways to mix up ways she scores points. She has great ball control skills as well, so I think the experience she adds to our outside hitter group is going to be huge for us. She will help our first contact and she is not afraid to lead," Dennis said about Newsome.

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

Volleyball Adds Five Transfers to 2024 Roster

Players Mentioned

Arianna Beckham

Mele Corral-Blagojevich

Kennedy Davis

Ceci Harness

Kailin Newsome

Mississippi State University Athletics