STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State volleyball program and head coach Julie Darty Dennis have announced the 28-match schedule for the 2022 season, which includes a pair of home tournaments and 13 total matches inside the Newell-Grissom Building.

 

“I am really excited about the 2022 schedule we have built,” Dennis said. “This is a very challenging schedule and is going to have us tested very early in the season. I think we have a very experienced group who is hungry to keep building something special here at Mississippi State and that’s exactly why we scheduled the way we did. This is not going to be easy, but it’s exactly what we need.”

 

Mississippi State will kick off the 2022 campaign at home with an exhibition match versus Louisiana on Friday, Aug. 20

 

First stop for the Bulldogs is South Bend, Indiana, on Aug. 26-27. The season kicks off day one with Milwaukee on Friday, Aug. 26, while MSU finishes the trip versus Notre Dame on Saturday, Aug. 27.

 

For the third weekend, the Bulldogs head to Nashville, Tennessee, on Sept. 2-3 for the Lippy Invitational. The tournament kicks off with a match against Lipscomb and a pair of matches on Saturday, Sept. 3 versus Oklahoma and Ball State.

 

The Bulldogs head back home for the Maroon and White Invite on Sept. 8-10. MSU opens the tournament on Thursday, Sept. 8 versus Kennesaw State for the first match. On Friday, Sept. 9, the Bulldogs face Houston and then finish off the tournament with South Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 10.

 

The final tune-up before SEC will take place at the Michigan Invitational with the Bulldogs facing Bowling Green on Sept. 15 and Michigan on Sept. 16.

 

MSU will have a few days to get ready for SEC competition, which features six matches versus teams that reached the 2021 NCAA Tournament, including two opponents that finished last season ranked in the top 25.

 

“I love that we get to host an Exhibition at home this year to give our fans an early look at the team,” Dennis said. “We take the show on the road for a good chunk of non-conference and we will come back battle-tested and ready to host our Maroon and White Invite with 3 really talented teams and then open SEC play with a mid-week vs. Georgia. The SEC continues to be incredibly tough throughout and the schedule we have is going to be fun.”

 

The opening week of conference play will take place in Starkville with the Bulldogs facing Georgia on Wednesday, Sept. 21. The following week, MSU hits the road to take on Auburn Wednesday, September 28.

 

The Bulldogs kick off the month of Oct. with a pair of home matches against Arkansas on Oct. 1-2. MSU then hits the road again to College Station, Texas, to take on Texas A&M on Oct. 7-8. That road trip is followed by two home matches against Florida on Oct. 14-15.

 

Then it’s back on the road for MSU to Columbia, South Carolina, where the Bulldogs will face South Carolina on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

 

MSU heads back home to face in-state rival Ole Miss on Wednesday, Oct. 26. The Bulldogs then make their way down south for a pair of matches versus LSU on Oct. 29-30, which is followed by a trip to Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 5.

 

The Bulldogs finish out the regular season at home against Kentucky on Nov. 11, then on the road to Tennessee on Nov. 19-20. To close out the month, MSU returns home to face Missouri on Nov. 25-26.

 

MSU will look to continue its climb up the SEC standings in year five of the Dennis era. State finished 16-2 in conference play and 25-6 overall for the 2021 slate. For the 2022 campaign, the Bulldogs have 13 returners, which includes six starters.

 

“We get to welcome some really talented teams to StarkVegas,” Dennis said. “I think everyone is going to be excited about our new floor and the updates we continue to make at The Griss. I hope that our fans continue to show up and give us the incredible support and energy that we love here on our home court. We are excited for another season of Hail State Volleyball.”

 

For more information on the Bulldog volleyball program, visit HailState.com or search for “HailStateVB” on Twitter, Instagramand Facebook.