Mississippi State Sets 2012 Volleyball Schedule
"I am very excited about the 2012 schedule," said Hazelwood. "With such a young squad, I feel like we have a good variety of non-conference opponents that will help prepare us for Southeastern Conference play." The Bulldogs' 13-player 2012 roster includes 10 student-athletes classified as freshmen or sophomores.
State opens its 38th season of volleyball August 24-25 when the Bulldogs welcome Jackson State, first-time opponent Kennesaw State and Louisiana-Monroe to the Newell-Grissom Building for opening weekend tournament competition. JSU is among seven MSU opponents that played in the 2011 NCAA Volleyball Tournament.
MSU launches its 20-match Southeastern Conference schedule on the home court the weekend of September 14-16 hosting Auburn and Georgia. State travels to College Station, Texas, for a match against SEC Western Division newcomer Texas A&M (Oct. 7) and later plays the league's other new member, Missouri, in both Columbia, Mo., (Oct. 14) and Starkville (Nov. 18) in State's season home finale.
The SEC's new 20-match scheduling format has each of the league's 13 volleyball-playing programs playing home and away matches against eight opponents and single meetings each season against four league foes. Under the new format the Bulldogs will play SEC West foes Alabama, Arkansas and Texas A&M along with SEC East foe Kentucky.
MSU takes on Boston College and 2011 NCAA Tournament teams Northern Iowa and Southern California during a Labor Day weekend trip to Los Angeles for the USC Tournament (Aug. 31-Sept. 1). State then concludes its early-season tourney slate in New Orleans, La., where the Bulldogs take on Pittsburgh, Sam Houston State and host Tulane in the 11th annual Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Classic (Sept. 7-8).