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September 2000 MSU Other Sports Skuttle-Butt

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9/30/00
Volleyball - The 12th-ranked Florida Gators (10-3, 3-0) lived up to their high national standing Friday night, topping Mississippi State 3-0 and spoiling the SEC home debut of the Bulldogs (12-3, 0-3). The Gators cruised to easy 15-3 and 15-4 wins in the opening game and then fought off a determined MSU challenge to win the match-deciding third game 15-13.

"Florida is a very physical team, and they really took it to us early tonight," said coach Brenda Bowlin. "But I was very proud of the way our players fought back and gave Florida a run in that third game. Two of our freshmen, Tanika Taylor and Jennifer Rousey showed us a little a what they can do against an outstanding team like Florida."

Taylor had five of her team-leading seven kills in the third set while Rousey came off the bench to deliver three kills and an impressive point-scoring solo block.

Mississippi State battled Florida down to the wire in the final game, coming within two points of winning a game against the Gators for just the third time in school history. Florida overcame the 13-12 lead to register its fourth consecutive win of the season and its 21st in as many matches with Mississippi State.

"They seemed to key on Brianne and Chris," Bowlin said of her senior co-captains. Owen had just three kills and Smedley one against the nation's No. 3 blocking team. Smedley had a block solo and two assists to pace MSU at the net.

The Gators got nine kills and four blocks from Nicole McCray and 13 digs from Aury Cruz. Florida held MSU to its lowest team hitting total (.032) in advancing to 3-0 in conference play.

"We've got to learn from this match and move forward," said Bowlin. "Another physical team from the SEC East, Georgia, will come in to Newell-Grissom Sunday, and it will take a total team effort to be successful against those Bulldogs."

MSU opens its October slate and closes out a three-match home schedule Sunday, hosting Georgia in a 12:30 p.m. match televised live on FOX Sports Net South.

FLORIDA 3, MISSISSIPPI STATE 0
Florida (10-3, 3-0)
Mississippi State (12-3, 0-3)

Soccer - Arkansas (3-6-2, 1-1 SEC) got an early goal, then relied on bad breaks to fall on Mississippi State (4-6, 0-1) as the Lady Razorbacks squeaked by the host Bulldogs Friday afternoon at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.

State relied on its offensive poise and defensive grit to create several pure scoring chances for itself throughout the course of the game, but could not break a scoring hex in the contest. Lauren Hall fired off five good looks on the Arkansas nets, but could not hit paydirt with any of her shots. Mississippi State goalkeeper Stephanie Lyon, making her second consecutive start in the nets for the Bulldogs, turned in a near-flawless performance, collecting four saves on 17 Arkansas shots for the MSU defense.

"This is, without a doubt, our best performance of the season," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "Our team played with discipline, passion and the will to win. Had we executed in the offensive third, the result could have been a lot different."

Megan Burke brought Arkansas off the mark in the 33rd minute (32:25) after a defensive stop by Mississippi State ricocheted and found her feet. Burke dribbled by a lone defender and found herself in a one-on-one situation with Lyon, before firing a shot inside the far post for the 1-0 Lady Razorback lead. State countered just minutes later when a pair of Bulldogs found Jessica Kauffman in front of the Arkansas goal, but Kauffman's point-blank shot was blocked by goalkeeper Megan Bals inches in front of the endline.

Mississippi State got its best chance late in the match when Leslie Nickles got control of the ball with an empty net in front of her, but was stymied by a sliding Arkansas defender who knocked the ball out of bounds. Minutes later, Kauffman headed a service over a pair of Arkansas defenders, but Bals kept her poise to make the save with the back of her feet under the crossbar.

The Bulldogs will again be in action on Sunday afternoon when they close out their four-game homestand by hosting Louisiana State. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.

SCORING SUMMARY, At Starkville, Miss. (MSU Soccer Field)
Arkansas 1 0 - 1
Mississippi State 0 0 - 0

ARK: Megan Burke (Unassisted), 32:25

Shots: ARK 17 (Williford, Bedient 3), MSU 9 (Hall 5). Corner Kicks: ARK 11, MSU 4. Goalkeeper Saves: ARK 3 (Bals), MSU 4 (Lyon). Fouls: ARK 13, MSU 11. Offsides: ARK 5, MSU 0. Yellow Cards: ARK 2 (O'Kelley; 56:35 - Roughing), (Campbell; 86:39 - Delay). Red Cards: None. Att. - 406.

Men's Tennis - Mississippi State men's tennis players Max Fomine and Matt Armstrong had a strong first day at the 33rd annual Southern Collegiate Championships Friday, as both Bulldogs won their first two matches in their respective divisions of play.

Fomine, a true freshman from Toronto, Canada, ousted Campbell's Sasa Ljumic 6-4, 6-2 in first-round action of Division II singles Friday morning. He then advanced to that draw's round of 16 with a 6-2, 6-3 upset victory over Rodrigo Pacheco, a top 16 seed, of South Carolina. Fomine will meet Will Glenn of host Georgia Saturday morning in the round of 16.

Armstrong, who is in Division IV, lost a close first set in his opening match but fought back for a 5-6(8), 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Mercer's Nina Akhavein. The redshirt freshman from Jackson, Miss., then staved off Citadel's David Scates for a 6-5(5), 6-5(7) win in the round of 16.

Armstrong will take on Joe Bassett of Florida State Saturday morning in the quarterfinals.

In first-round Division I play Friday, State's 86th-ranked Jerome Le Belicard was upset by Bethune-Cookman's Claran Moore 2-6, 6-5(6), 6-1. Le Belicard will play in consolation action Saturday.

In doubles, Fomine and Le Belicard, a top 8 seed alphabetically as a duo in Division II, were to face a tandem from Mercer in their first-round match that started late Friday.

Women's Golf - The Mississippi State women's golf team posted a team score of 313 on Friday to place them fifth after one round of play in the Dodge ACC/SEC Shootout Invitational in Destin, Fla.

Junior Anna Gertsson sits in a three-way tie for third place after posting a 74 at the par-71 Raven Golf Course. Freshman Anna Knuttson is currently tied for sixth. Her opening-round 75 was her fourth consecutive round in the 70's to begin her Lady Bulldog career.

Auburn's Celeste Troche leads the field after shooting a 71, and Auburn leads the team competition with a score of 305. MSU sits eight strokes back.

Lady Bulldog senior Lina Thoren shot an 81 for her first round. She was victorious at the Derby Invitational, the last tournament in which she played. Freshman Catalina Olarte carded an 83, and Christina Clausen posted a 90 to round out the Lady Bulldog lineup.

Play continues Saturday and Sunday with 18 holes being played each day.

THE RAVEN GOLF COURSE, Par: 71 5,937 Yards

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Auburn 305 +21
2. Furman 307 +23
3. Alabama 309 +25
4. North Carolina 311 +27
5. Mississippi State 313 +29
6. South Carolina 316 +32
7. Wake Forest 318 +34
8. Florida 319 +35
9. Miami 323 +39
10. Florida State 326 +42
11. Kentucky 332 +48
12. North Carolina State 344 +60

MSU RESULTS
t3. Anna Gertsson 74 +3
t6. Anna Knutsson 75 +4
t31. Lina Thoren 81 +10
t39. Catalina Olarte 83 +12
t55. Christina Clausen 90 +19

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/28/00
Volleyball - Playing at the Newell-Grissom Building for only the second time this season, Mississippi State (12-2) rode the offense of Christine Owen and Misty Hubenthal to a 3-0 win over Samford University (8-9) Wednesday night. It was the 12th win in 14 matches this season for State and the Bulldogs' 19th consecutive win over Samford.

Owen had match-high totals with 16 kills and eight digs while Hubenthal chipped in 13 kills and committed just one hitting error on a .706 hitting night.

State scored 10 points on serves by Katie Carraro to take a 13-0 lead en route to a 15-7 win in the opening game. State rolled to a 15-3 win in game two and fought off a late charge by Samford for a 16-14 win in the final game.

"I'm pleased with some of the offensive play we saw tonight, but our passing still concerns me," said coach Brenda Bowlin. "That's a matter of focus and concentration, something we'll need to have when the 12th-ranked Florida Gators come to town Friday night."

State out-hit Samford .325 to .032, but the visiting Bulldogs scored half of their 24 match points on service aces.

With her eighth and final dig of the match late in the third game, senior co-captain Christine Owen became the 10th Volleyball Bulldog to reach 1,000 digs in a career. "Chris has had an outstanding career and continues to reach impressive milestones," said Bowlin. The Katy, Texas, product is now 27 kills away from breaking the Mississippi State career record for kills. She now has 1,387 kills.

Carraro and Hubenthal had seven digs each and Michele Gordon had three solo blocks and three block assists to lead MSU at the net.

Ashley Fulton had eight kills, Shaliece Hall seven digs and Krista Kettering five service aces to lead Samford.

Mississippi State opens SEC home competition Friday hosting nine-time SEC champion and 12th-ranked Florida (9-3, 2-0) in a 7 p.m. match at the Newell-Grissom Building. The Bulldogs conclude the weekend's competition Sunday at 12:30 p.m., hosting SEC Eastern Division power Georgia in a match televised live by FOX Sports Net South.

MISSISSIPPI STATE 3, SAMFORD 0
Samford (8-9) 7 3 14
Mississippi State (12-2) 15 15 16

Track and Field - Pierre Browne's bid for an individual Olympic gold medal in the 200 meters came to an end Wednesday at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

Browne struggled to a sixth-place finish in heat two of the opening round of 200-meter competition with a 21.28 clocking.

Browne can still earn a medal as part of Canada's 4x100-meter relay that begins defense of its 1996 gold medal Friday. Browne and his Canadian teammates run the first round of the relay event Thursday evening at 6 p.m. CST. The semifinals are set to be run later on that evening with the finals slated for Sept. 30.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/25/00
Volleyball (Friday action) - Mississippi State's run as one of the nation's final nine unbeaten volleyball teams came to an end in Lexington, Ky., Friday night as Kentucky (3-8, 1-0) turned back the Bulldogs in four games, 16-14, 15-11, 8-15, 16-14.

The Bulldogs (11-1, 0-1 SEC) got off to an impressive start, bolting to a 13-4 lead in the opening game. But UK erased the deficit and committed just one hitting error in taking a 16-14 verdict in the opener. It was an indicator of what was to come the remainder of the night, as UK pulled away from an 11-10 MSU lead to win the second game. The Bulldogs, after staying alive with a 15-8 win in the third stanza, threatened to extend the match to five games, rallying from a 9-5 deficit and serving five times for game point. But the Wildcats staged a final late-game surge to claim a 16-14 win in the fourth game and clinch the two-hour, 10-minute match.

Christine Owen totaled 17 kills, Brianne Smedley 15 with seven blocks on a .414 hitting night, and Misty Hubenthal chipped in 14 kills and a team-high 15 digs.

But mistakes proved costly on a night when MSU out-hit the Wildcats .229 to .202. MSU had nine costly service errors and 10 receiving errors.

"It was a disappointing loss in a match filled with missed opportunities," said coach Brenda Bowlin. "Our inability to finish plays was just what Kentucky needed to have a chance to win. They were prepared and took advantage of what was without doubt our poorest performance of the year."

Kentucky got a strong offensive performance from senior middle blocker Megan Weiskircher, who piled up 19 kills with 14 digs.Mississippi State wraps up its first weekend of SEC competition Sunday in Knoxville, Tenn., taking on the Tennessee Lady Vols in a 2 p.m. (EDT) match at the Stokley Athletics Center. Following Sunday's MSU-UT match, the Bulldogs return to Starkville to play six of their next seven matches at the Newell-Grissom Building. MSU hosts Samford Wednesday (Sept. 27) at 7 p.m. and then entertains nine-time defending SEC champion Florida Friday (Sept. 27) at 7 p.m.

KENTUCKY 3, MISSISSIPPI STATE 1
Mississippi State (11-1, 0-1 SEC) 14 11 15 14
Kentucky (3-8, 1-0 SEC) 16 15 8 16

Volleyball (Sunday action) - Janelle Hester led a foursome of Lady Vols with double-figure kills totals Sunday afternoon as Tennessee (11-2, 2-0 SEC) topped Mississippi State 3-1 in SEC volleyball.

The teams split the first two games, with UT taking the opener 15-6 and the Bulldogs evening the count with a 15-8 win in the second game. But the Vols' offensive strength proved to much for the Bulldogs (11-2, 0-2 SEC) down the stretch, with UT regaining control of the match with 15-5 and 15-10 wins in the final two games.

Christine Owen paced MSU with 14 kills and Misty Hubenthal added 12.

Hester, who hit a sizzling .586, was joined in double-digit kills by Ariana Wilson with 17, Stephanie Knight with 11 and Trinia with 10.

"We were never really able to get our offense going against a good Tennessee team today," said coach Brenda Bowlin. "Our passing broke down and that kept us from getting on track. It always seemed like we were playing catch-up."

The Bulldogs trailed in kills 72-46 and digs 41-32 but managed a 7-4 lead in team blocks. Brianne Smedley had three block solos and hitting leaders Owen and Hubenthal had a block solo and block assist each.

"After six straight on the road, it will be good to get back home and try to regain our momentum and consistency," said Bowlin. "This weekend showed us that we've got a lot to work on and need to regain our focus."

Mississippi State plays its next three matches at the Newell-Grissom Building, entertaining Samford Wednesday at 7 p.m., nine-time defending SEC champ Florida Friday at 7 p.m., and in a match televised by FOX Sports Net South, the Georgia Bulldogs Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

TENNESSEE 3, MISSISSIPPI STATE 1
Mississippi State (11-2, 0-2 SEC) 6 15 5 10
Tennessee (12-2, 2-0 SEC) 15 8 15 15

Softball - Mississippi State 3, Belmont 2

Belmont jumped on Mississippi State early, taking an early 2-0 lead into the second inning, but State took advantage of a costly Belmont error in the third inning to plate three runs and take a 3-2, come-from-behind victory over the Bruins.

Both newcomer Jennifer Waterman and sophomore Nicole Moschetti turned in 2-3 performances at the plate to highlight Bulldog offense. Starter Courtney Frank (1-0) worked the first four innings before giving way to Iyhia McMichael in the fifth. McMichael worked the remainder of the game, surrendering no runs while striking out three, to nab the save.

Allison Alvarez gave Belmont its first lead of the game on a first-inning double to right field that plated Christi Davis from second base. Sabrina Ryals extended the lead to two with the next at bat, singling to centerfield to plate Alvarez with Belmont's second run.

State rallied in the third, however, taking advantage of a costly error by Belmont to plate a pair of unearned runs and regain the lead. Kellie Wilkerson's RBI single cut MSU's deficit to one, before Krystal Tillman's RBI single through the left side three batters later brought the tying run across the plate. A wild pitch brought newcomer Melanie Langley across the plate with the game-winning run.

Mississippi State 11, Meridian C.C. 1

Meridian Community College took advantage of a first-inning error by Mississippi State to take an early lead, but State battled back with a four-run sixth and a seven-run seventh to rout the Lady Eagles in the opening game of the MSU Fall Fest.

Jennifer Jessup hit 3-5 at the plate while teammate Kasey Whitehead hit 2-4 with three RBI and two runs scored to pace the Bulldog offense. Whitehead (1-0) worked a complete game, striking out five and surrendering an unearned run, to get the victory for the Bulldogs.

Shanna Blanks' one-out triple to the gap in right field put an early runner in scoring position for the Lady Eagles, who took the lead one batter later when Nicole Moschetti misplayed Stephanie Dixon's grounder, allowing Blanks to cross the plate with the game's first run.

However, State rallied on the shoulders of Whitehead and newcomer Lindsay Nelson in a four-run sixth, then iced the game with a seven-run seventh inning on the foundation of consistent hitting.

Mississippi State 5, MUW 1

Mississippi State rallied for multi-run fourth and fifth innings, then used its pitching and defense to close the door, as the Bulldogs completed a clean sweep in its three games at the 2000 MSU Fall Fest with a 5-1, come-from-behind victory over MUW Saturday evening.

Newcomer Krystal Tillman hit 2-2 at the plate and scored a pair of runs to highlight the Bulldog offense, while veteran pitchers Jennifer Nelson and Kellie Wilkerson combined to limit the Blues' offensive attack. Nelson (1-0) worked the first 3 2/3 innings, surrendering a lone earned run, before giving way to Wilkerson in the fourth. Wilkerson worked the remaining 2 1/3 innings, striking out two, to earn the save.

MUW stranded a trio of runners in scoring position through the first three innings of play, before capitalizing on a fielder's choice RBI in the fourth. With the bases juiced and one out showing, Michele Haynie brought Nancy Andrews across the plate with a fielder's choice RBI that gave MUW the first lead of the game.

However, the Bulldogs put a runner in scoring position in the next half inning for newcomer Iyhia McMichael, who belted a triple into left field, scoring Tillman from third with the game-tying run. Kasey Whitehead doubled with the next at bat to give State the 2-1 lead heading into the fifth frame.

Wilkerson's sixth-inning RBI single plated Kate Jaspers to extend the Bulldogs' lead to two runs, before freshman Jennifer Waterman plated two more runs a handful of batters later on a RBI single to centerfield that brought Wilkerson and Tillman across home plate.

The victory iced yet another MSU Fall Fest championship for the hosts who finished 3-0 on the day with victories over MUW, Meridian C.C. and Belmont. The Bulldogs placed three players - pitcher Kasey Whitehead, first baseman Cheri Smith and shortstop Jennifer Jessup - on the all-tournament team. Jessup was garnered Tournament MVP honors.

Soccer - South Alabama (5-4) got an early lead, then used its defense to stymie an aggressive Mississippi State (3-5) offense, as the Jaguars spoiled State's return home for the first time in nearly a month with a 3-0 victory Friday afternoon at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.

Freshman forward Leslie Nickles got off three shots at the South Alabama goal to highlight a very frustrated Bulldog offensive attack. Goalkeeper Kirstin Olson recorded a pair of saves on nine Jaguar shots for the MSU defense.

"We were second-best in everything that we did and the result is testament to that," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "Our players must look deep within themselves if they want to change the current string of results."

South Alabama used a very organized offensive attack to strike early, slipping a ball through a trio of Mississippi State defenders to Yolanda Juniga in the back half of the goalkeeper box. Juniga lined up her shot and punched it over a charging Olson, sneaking it just inside the keeper's far post in the 7th minute (6:26). The Jaguars took the lead into the halftime break, despite State pulling the shot total even on a look at the goal right before the halftime whistle.

Clutching onto a one-goal deficit, State bunkered down on defense in the second half, limiting the Jags to one shot in the first 20 minutes of play, but Jackie Shirer extended the USA lead out to 2-0 in the 66th minute (65:47), taking on a 1 v. 1 with Olson before firing a shot that snuck inside the right post. South Alabama's Cindy Rainville added an insurance goal in the 77th minute (76:05) that capped the match scoring.

Mississippi State will return to action on Sunday afternoon when they suit up to host Alabama A&M (0-9) in the second game of a four-game homestand. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.

SCORING SUMMARY, at Starkville, Miss. (MSU Soccer Field)
South Alabama (5-4) 1 2 - 3
Mississippi State (3-5) 0 0 - 0

Shots: USA 9 (Shirer 4), MSU 10 (Nickles 4). Corner Kicks: USA 2, MSU 2. Goalkeeper Saves: USA 2 (Rogers), MSU 2 (Olson). Fouls: USA 10, MSU 5. Offsides: USA 3, MSU 2. Yellow Cards: None. Red Cards: None. Att. - 318.

Soccer Sunday action - Mississippi State (4-5) shattered three scoring records, scoring 10 goals and adding 17 assists, as the Bulldogs got back on the winning track with a 10-0 victory over Alabama A&M (0-10) Sunday afternoon at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.

State used most of its 25-man roster in the victory, getting a pair of goals from both Lauren Hall and Amber Rose to highlight the offensive attack. State's defense kept Alabama A&M out of its defensive third for much of the entire game, limiting the Bulldogs to just lone shot on goal in the second half, in recording the team's third shutout of the campaign.

"Today was a test of our team discipline," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "The ball movement was good, our intensity was better and we did the simple things right."

Freshman Becca Edwards put Mississippi State on the board early, taking a pair of assists from Sam Schwenke and Jessica Kauffman and converting with a goal in just the third minute (2:28) of play. State would add six more goals before the intermission, five of which came within a span of 16 minutes, to take a 7-0 lead and a 24-1 shot advantage into the halftime break.

Jocelyn McNeely and Hall added goals in the 51st (50:32) and 53rd (52:15) minutes, respectively, to take a 9-0 lead, before the Bulldogs cooled its offensive attack, playing possession for a good part of the second half of play. Hall added her second goal in the 90th minute (89:38) to provide the final.

The scoring output (37 points) eclipsed a four-year old record set by the program on Sept. 21, 1996, in an 8-0 rout of McNeese State in Starkville. The 17 assists by Mississippi State on Sunday shattered a three-year old record set by the Bulldogs against Arkansas-Little Rock (10) on Sept. 7, 1997.

State will again be in action on Friday when they open up Southeastern Conference play at home against the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks. Game time is set for 4 p.m. at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.

SCORING SUMMARY, At Starkville, Miss. (MSU Soccer Field)
Alabama A&M (0-10) 0 0 - 0
Mississippi State (4-5) 7 3 - 10

Men's Tennis - Rene-Charles Combette fell in quarterfinal-round action at the T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Saturday, ending a solid week of play for the MSU netter. The event, being held at the Suburban Club of Baltimore County, is the first leg of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Grand Slam.

Combette, who was competing in his first Grand Slam main draw ever, saw his solid run at the first major of the year end Saturday morning we he was downed by UCLA's 61st-ranked Erfan Djaghangiri 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Despite the loss, it was an impressive week for the Bulldog sophomore, who qualified for the main draw with two wins on Wednesday and then notched three solid win in the main draw.

In consolation play of the doubles main draw Saturday, the 43rd-ranked MSU team of Chris McDonald and Mathieu Soto finished off a match with Louisville's 42nd-ranked tandem of Tvrtko Kujundzic and Joachim Lien for a 6-2, 6-4 win. The match had been suspended due to darkness Friday night. The State pair then fell 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals to the Purdue duo of Jason Marshall and Dan Swan.

Men's Sunday Tennis action - Mississippi State's doubles team of Max Fomine and Jerome Le Belicard reached the semifinals of Flight A doubles at the Middle Tennessee Fall Classic Sunday before being eliminated from the event in that round.

The MSU duo, which had won 8-4 in the first round late Saturday, downed Memphis' second-seeded team of Ben Stapp and Alistair Todd 8-4 in Sunday morning's quarterfinals. They then fell 8-6 to Mark Pellerin and Trevor Short of host Middle Tennessee in the semifinals.

Le Belicard was to have played in the semis of Flight A singles consolation as well on Sunday, but rain forced the cancellation of all consolation play in the tournament.

Women's Tennis - TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Mississippi State's women's tennis squad suffered defeats in each of their six matches in the second day of the Roberta Alison Classic here on Saturday. The Lady Bulldogs lost four singles matches and two doubles contests.

Senior Anca Vasiloaica was defeated for the first time on the young season, losing a three-set match with South Alabama's Martina Ondrejkova, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, in the B singles draw. Senior Linda Mattsson and Freshman Yumi Ueda both suffered losses to players from arch-rival Mississippi. Mattsson was defeated by Alesya Ignatieva 6-1, 6-0 in C singles and Ueda lost to Karem Harboe 6-3, 6-4. Sophomore Claudia Oliviera lost an A singles consolation match to top-seeded Silvia Sosnarava of South Alabama in a pro-set match, 8-3.

In doubles action, Vasiloaica and Mattsson were defeated by Tulane's duo of Bergman and Morris 8-3 in the semifinals of the B draw. Oliveira and Ueda were defeated by the fourth-seeded combo of Ignatieva and Aalto of Mississippi in the consolation round of the A draw.

The Roberta Alison classic concludes on Sunday with singles matches in the morning.

Women's Sunday Tennis action - Sophomore Claudia Oliveira and freshman Yumi Ueda each won consolation matches at the Roberta Alison Classic here on Sunday. Oliveira defeated Daniela Greco of Tennessee-Chattanooga in an A draw match. Trailing after the first set, Oliveira rallied to take the last two sets and win the match, 2-6, 7-6, 6-0. Ueda, seeded third in the D singles draw, won by default over fourth-seeded Millie Begovic of Alabama.

Seniors Anca Vasiloaica and Linda Mattsson were each defeated on the tournament's final day. Vasiloaica lost 6-2, 6-2 to third-seeded Ana Moura of Washington State in a B draw consolation match. Mattsson was stopped by Julie Morris of Tulane, 7-6, 7-5, in a C draw match.

The Lady Bulldogs' next action will be Oct. 6-8 in Palo Alto, Calif. when they team up with the men in the WingspanBank.com/WTT National Tennis Tournament.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/22/00
Volleyball - Fourth-year Bulldog volleyball coach Brenda Bowlin calls it the second season. Her Mississippi State players know it as competition on a significantly higher level and with greater rewards.

After successfully running the table in their first 11 matches of the 2000 campaign, Mississippi State's Volleyball Bulldogs test the often-choppy waters of the Southeastern Conference for the first time this weekend when they launch league play Friday at Kentucky.

"It's another season with another set of challenges," said Bowlin, who in three seasons has set the Mississippi State record for conference coaching wins in a season (5 in 1998) and in a career (11 from 1997 to 1999). "This is what the players have worked so hard for, and they're genuinely excited about the start of the conference season. After going through the disappointment of not making the tournament last year, everyone, especially the veteran players, is eager for an opportunity to make a move up in the conference."

The Bulldogs will enter Friday's 7 p.m. (EDT) match at Kentucky (2-8) with momentum unparalleled in the program's 26-year history. State has established a new school standard with 11 consecutive wins and enters the weekend as one of only nine teams that remain unbeaten in NCAA women's volleyball.

At Kentucky's historical Memorial Coliseum Friday night the Bulldogs will be looking to make a little history of their own. MSU has beaten Kentucky only once in 24 previous meetings, never in Lexington, and has claimed just one of its 17 SEC season-openers (vs. Alabama at Starkville in 1989).

"It would be another step up the ladder for Mississippi State to get the SEC season started off with a win at Kentucky," said Bowlin. "Despite their (2-8) start, we know we'll need another team effort to have an opportunity to notch a win in Lexington."

That team effort has been sparked by senior co-captains Brianne Smedley and Christine Owen.

Smedley entered the week ranked second in the NCAA and first in the SEC with a .479 hitting percentage. The Arlington, Texas, native also leads the Bulldogs at the net with 34 total blocks. She committed just two errors in last weekend's University of Memphis Invitational for which she was named MVP. Owen, meanwhile, has maintained her team lead with 140 kills and 99 digs. Owen, from Katy, Texas, is 74 kills away from the MSU career record and is 20 digs away from becoming only the 10th Mississippi State player to reach the 1,000-dig milestone.

MSU travels on to Knoxville, Tenn., and closes out a six-match road run and the opening weekend of SEC play Sunday against Tennessee's Lady Vols (9-2). Then it's back to Starkville, where the Bulldogs will play six of their next seven matches at the Newell-Grissom Building. State hosts Samford Wednesday (Sept. 27) at 7 p.m. and opens its seven-match home SEC schedule Friday (Sept. 29) at 7 p.m. against nine-time defending SEC champion Florida.

Soccer - The Mississippi State soccer team (3-4), fresh off a six-game roadtrip which concluded Sunday, jumps back into action Friday afternoon when it plays the first game of a four-game homestand against the South Alabama Jaguars (4-4).

The Bulldogs will make just its second appearance at home this season and the first since a 4-2 victory over Samford on August 26. State's roadtrip saw it take journeys to three different states, including this past weekend when the Bulldogs traveled 13 hours roundtrip to Greenville, S.C., to participate in the Furman-hosted Umbro Challenge.

"Our ladies are definitely excited to be playing on our home turf once again," said Mississippi State assistant coach Jennie Altherr. "We began this season with a victory at home and we intend on keeping our streak alive. We feel as if our team is not only prepared, but very much motivated to succeed."

Mississippi State and South Alabama have met only once in the series history between the two schools. Six games into the 1996 campaign, the Bulldogs soundly defeated the Jaguars 6-1 in front of a Mississippi State Soccer Field home crowd. In that contest, the Bulldogs limited South Alabama to just six shots on goal, including two first half looks.

State will rely on its defensive troops Friday against a South Alabama team that has averaged 17 shots per game this season. In retrospect, the Bulldogs have allowed its opponents an average of just less than 14 looks per game on its nets, including allowing a lone shot in a 1-0 victory over Jacksonville State earlier this season, and an average of just eight shots on goal.

"Our focus from the beginning of this journey has been to strengthen our defense positionally, and to then remain organized and composed throughout the duration of the game," Altherr said. "Our defenders have really done a tremendous job in winning the physical battles. At the same time, they continually improve on their thought process and decision-making skills."

Game time is set for 4 p.m. at the Mississippi State Soccer Field. Admission to all 2000 home MSU soccer matches is free of charge.

Men's Tennis - Mississippi State sophomore tennis standout Rene-Charles Combette had advanced to the round of 16 of singles action at the T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championships after posting two wins in opening rounds Thursday. The event, being held at the Suburban Club of Baltimore County, is the first leg of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Grand Slam.

Combette moved into Friday's round of 16 with two wins Thursday. He opened the day by downing North Carolina State's Matt Lucas 6-3, 6-3. He followed that win with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Hampton's Pyung Khoo Lee.

The Corsica, France, product will meet Virginia Commonwealth's Florian Marquardt Friday in the round of 16. Combette is competing in his first Grand Slam main draw ever.

In the 32-team doubles main draw field Thursday, the 42nd-ranked MSU team of Chris McDonald and Mathieu Soto dropped a 6-3, 6-3, first-round decision to Southern Methodist's duo of Genius Chidzikwe and Dustin Mauck. The Bulldog pair will play in consolation action Friday.

State will also have three players competing in the Middle Tennessee Fall Invitational beginning Friday in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Sophomores Jerome Le Belicard and David Ruiz, and freshman Max Fomine will be compete in singles, while Le Belicard and Ruiz will team in doubles.

Women's Tennis - Mississippi State's women's tennis team will begin its 2000 fall season today in the Roberta Alison Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Lady Bulldogs finished the 2000 spring season with an 11-11 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Participating for the Lady Bulldogs in today's tournament will be seniors Linda Mattson and Anca Vasiloaica, sophomore Claudia Oliveira and freshman Yumi Ueda.

Oliveira will play in the A singles draw against fourth-seeded Sarah Borwell of Houston. Vasiloaica will take on fourth-seeded Anneli Axsater of Tulane in the B singles draw, and Mattson, who is seeded fourth in the C singles, will take on Courtney Collins of Samford. All three matches will begin at 11 a.m. In D singles, Ueda will play her first match as a Lady Bulldog as the three-seed against Luca Somorjai of Auburn-Montgomery.

The Lady Bulldogs will also send two doubles squads into action. Oliveira and Ueda will compete in the A draw against top-seed Marcela Kotesovcova and Silvia Sosnarava of South Alabama. Vasiloaica and Mattson will take on Auburn's duo of Carolina Maurer and Liz Sauberborn. Both of those matches are slated for 2 p.m.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/18/00 - Members of Mississippi State's men's tennis team won five matches played in singles and doubles Sunday morning with the University of Miami during the final day of the On The Border Challenge.

In doubles, MSU registered two wins in four contests staged between the schools. Bulldogs Chris McDonald and Mathieu Soto, ranked 42nd nationally, edged Miami's 43rd-ranked team of Peter Hoffman and Tomas Smith 8-7(2) in a tiebreaker. True freshman Romain Ambert paired with sophomore Rene-Charles Combette for an 8-5 win over Hurricanes Joel Berman and Andrew Golub.

Miami took four of seven singles matches that were contested on the day. Ambert notched his second win over a ranked opponent this fall, ousting Hoffman, ranked 99th, 6-3, 6-1. MSU sophomore Charles Sevigny won 6-1, 6-4 over Jose Lieberman while McDonald got the first ranked victory of his career when Smid, ranked 67th, retired after dropping the first set 6-3 to the MSU sophomore. Three of State's four singles losses to UM came in close three-set affairs.

"I was very pleased with our weekend here," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "We won some big matches and played very close in several others. Our younger players got a lot of experience under their belts in this tournament against top-level opposition and posted some big wins along the way."

Next up for the Bulldog net team will be the T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championships in Baltimore, Md., this week. The event is the first leg of the Collegiate Grand Slam.

State will have four players-Combette, McDonald, Sevigny, Mathieu Soto-in the singles qualifying draw on Tuesday and Wednesday. Those four players will be looking to win two matches to advance to the main draw, to be held Thursday-Sunday at the Suburban Club of Baltimore County.

Already in the 64-player singles main draw for State is two-time, all-American Marco Baron, ranked fourth nationally. MSU also already has two teams in the 32-duo doubles main draw as well--Baron and Sevigny (ranked third) and McDonald and Soto (ranked 42nd).

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/17/00
Cross Country - The Mississippi State cross country team posted its second top-10 finish in as many meets Saturday, taking eighth-place honors at the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Head coach Al Schmidt's Bulldogs finished the 5K race at Harry Pritchett Golf Course with 214 points. South Florida topped the 26-team field with 55 points.

Joey Hansen led MSU for the second straight meet this year, finishing 19th in a personal-best 18:13.12. The Mauston, Wis., native has now led State in six meets over her career, tying her with former Bulldog Deanne Dahmer for sixth place among the career leaders as MSU's top finisher.

Fellow second-year harrier Ronni Watjus also clocked a career-best timing at the University of Alabama-hosted race, finishing the Harry Pritchett course in 18:46.48 for 38th place. Another sophomore, Katie Longmire, was the third Bulldog runner to finish, claiming 48th-place honors with a personal-record 19:03.73 mark.

Redshirt sophomore Christine Zawaski struggled to a 61st-place finish in 19:26.19, while junior LeeAnn Ripstra took 65th place in 19:29.25. Fellow junior Kristin Tallent crossed the finish line 103rd (20:19.61), and sophomore Janice Zawaski completed the course in 21:11.79 for 133rd place.

State returns to racing competition next weekend, competing in the Sept. 23 Baylor Invitational at the Farm Bureau Course in Waco, Texas.

Volleyball - Christine Owen and Misty Hubenthal registered season-first double-doubles and Brianne Smedley continued her hot hitting pace Saturday afternoon as Mississippi State topped Syracuse for the championship of the Memphis Invitational Volleyball Tournament. The win extends MSU's winning streak to a school-record 10 matches and gives the Bulldogs three September tournament wins for the first time in the program's 26 years.

"I'm so excited for this team. They've worked so hard and it's great to see it all pay off with a great team win," beamed Bulldog head coach Brenda Bowlin. "Syracuse was a very tough opponent and we had to execute and play good defense to have a chance. Our back court defense was a big factor."

"Our veterans all took the lead for us --- Christine, Brianne, Michele and Misty. One of our goals this year was to win all three of our September tournaments, so this win today was extra special for them."

State and Syracuse fought on near-even terms for much of the opening game before the Bulldogs scored six of the game's final seven points in a 15-12 win. The Bulldogs broke away from a 9-9 deadlock in the second game in winning 15-11, and raced home with a 15-2 verdict in the final game.

Owen, named to the eight-player all-tournament team, totaled 18 kills and a dozen digs while Hubenthal added 12 kills and 12 digs.

Senior co-captain Brianne Smedley was named tournament MVP after matching her season high with 15 kills. She committed just one hitting error while sizzling with a .583 hitting percentage.

In its opening match Saturday morning, Mississippi State overcame a sluggish start and a scrappy Nicholls State squad to blank NSU 3-0, tying the school record for consecutive wins with nine.

The Colonels (2-6) surprised the Bulldogs in the early going of the opening game, bolting to 7-0 advantage and leading 9-3 before State recovered. MSU knotted the score at 10-10 on one of Christine Owen's match-leading 17 kills, taking the opening game 15-12. State hit at a .545 clip in a 15-1 romp in game two and used four freshmen in winning the match-clinching third game 15-7.

State hit a season-high .511 with a season-low five hitting errors in the match. Senior Brianne Smedley registered 12 kills and hit .750 on an errorless match on offense. MSU's other starting middle blocker, Michele Gordon, was also errorless with 10 kills.

Owen, Katie Carraro, and Misty Hubenthal led MSU's balanced defensive effort with eight digs apiece.

"We're starting to come together as a team and playing as well as any of the teams I've coached at Mississippi State," said Bowlin. "There are things we need to work on to get better, but this 10-0 start gives us momentum going into the start of the SEC season next week."

The Bulldogs continue their on-going run of six straight road matches Tuesday night in Birmingham meeting UAB before launching SEC competition Sept. 22-24 during a weekend road trip to Kentucky and Tennessee.

MISSISSIPPI STATE 3, NICHOLLS STATE 0
Mississippi State (9-0) 15 15 15
Nicholls State (2-6) 12 1 7

MISSISSIPPI STATE 3, SYRACUSE 0
Mississippi State (10-0) 15 15 15
Syracuse (8-3) 12 11 2

Men's Tennis - Members of Mississippi State's men's tennis team registered six victories in singles and doubles play Saturday in second-day action at the On The Border Challenge. The Bulldogs faced players from host Georgia in singles and doubles Saturday morning and followed with singles matches against squad members from Texas in the afternoon and saw some very close decision along the way.

In State's morning session with Georgia, UGA was victorious in 10 of 12 matches played between the teams' players, but that was in no way indicative how most of the matches went. In eight singles contests, nine tiebreakers were played and two other sets were decided by close 6-4 scores.

In doubles, Georgia took three of four matches, winning by 8-5, 8-7(4), 8-3 scores. State's lone win came in possibly the match of the day where Bulldog freshmen Matt Armstrong and Max Fomine held off Georgia's pair of Todd Carlson and Will Glenn for an 8-7(11) win.

Georgia posted seven wins in eight singles matches contested between the squads, but again tight scores were the norm. Fomine was again involved in the only State victory, as he posted the most-lopsided win of the day of anyone, ousting Georgia's Todd Carlson 6-2, 6-0.

MSU was very close in all of the other seven singles contests, dropping three of them in three-set affairs, and seeing three of the four two-set contests feature one tiebreaker. Falling in three sets for MSU were Charles Sevigny, Chris McDonald and Armstrong. Sevigny was edged by Georgia's 5-6(3), 6-2, 6-5(7), McDonald fell in another tight one 3-6, 6-5(4), 6-5(3) to Demetris Leontis, and Armstong lost 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to Glenn.

State then played seven singles matches with the Texas Longhorns Saturday afternoon, taking four victories in those contests. True freshman Romain Ambert led the way with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Longhorn Jean Simon. David Ruiz came back for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over UT's Will Clinton.

In State's other wins against Texas, McDonald bested Ryan Haymond 6-2, 6-2 and Mathieu Soto beat Longhorn Scott Walker 6-5(4), 2-6, 6-2. All three of State's losses to UT featured one tiebreaker.

MSU concludes action at the three-day event Sunday, as the Bulldogs will meet players from Miami in singles and doubles Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Soccer - Although battling for the entire 90-minutes of the match, Mississippi State fell victim to a highly aggressive and well-organized Furman (8-0) squad in a 10-1 loss in the final match of the Umbro Challenge Saturday evening in Greenville, S.C.

Freshman Michelle Provenzano provided the lone State goal early in midst of the opening period, but State was stymied on a handful of other scoring opportunities the rest of the way. Goalkeeper Kirstin Olson recorded five saves on 23 Lady Paladin shots, with reserve keeper Stephanie Lyon nabbing three saves on four other shots by the hosts. Provenzano and Dreher both garnered Umbro Challenge all-tournament team honors for their efforts.

"Today we were taught a valuable lesson and one that we must learn from," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "I must commend our players for their effort, but we just could not handle Furman's offense. They are talented, very explosive and deserve all the credit in the world for the way they played.

"When placed in adverse situations such as these, teams can do one of two things; they can lie down and accept it or they can get back to the drawing board and fix it. On Tuesday, our team will be at practice with pencil and paper in hand. We will come back from this."

Furman got off the mark first, using two consecutive goals by Emily Turgeon in the 5th (4:02) and 13th (12:26) minutes, respectively, before Provenzano put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard. Beth Dreher found the newcomer in open space in front of the net and the Miami native finished the scoring chance with a shot underneath the outstretched fingertips of goalkeeper Melissa Barnes in the 26th minute (25:07).

However, Furman added another score less than two minutes later in the 28th minute (27:03), then hit the back of State's net in the 33rd (32:11) to take a 4-1 advantage into the halftime intermission.

Furman added to their lead less than five minutes into the second stanza when Danielle Petro took a through-ball from Nicole Malseed and punched a ball past Olson for her second consecutive goal in the 50th minute (49:43). Melissa Turner scored her first of three goals in the 50th (49:43), before Petro and Turgeon completed their hat tricks in the 63rd (62:50) and 64th (63:46) minutes, respectively. Turner completed the third Furman hat trick of the contest, scoring goals in the 70th (69:29) and 72nd (71:12) minutes, before Kathy Gaertner completed the match scoring with a goal with just more than 10 minutes remaining in the contest (79:52).

The match concluded a six-game road swing for the Bulldogs who will again be in action on Friday afternoon when they return to Starkville to play the first game of a four-game homestand against South Alabama at the Mississippi State Soccer Field. Game time is set for 4 p.m. and admission is free.

At Greenville, S.C. (Umbro Challenge at Furman University)

MISSISSIPPI STATE (3-4) 1 0 - 1
FURMAN (8-0) 4 6 - 10

SCORING SUMMARY
FU: Emily Turgeon (Unassisted), 4:02
FU: Emily Turgeon (Melissa Turner, Sarah Tollick), 12:26
MSU: Michelle Provenzano (Beth Dreher), 25:07
FU: Danielle Petro (Nicole Malseed), 27:03
FU: Danielle Petro (Nicole Malseed), 32:11
FU: Melissa Turner (Danielle Petro), 49:43
FU: Danielle Petro (Emily Turgeon), 62:50
FU: Emily Turgeon (Unassisted), 63:46
FU: Melissa Turner (Unassisted), 69:29
FU: Melissa Turner (Unassisted), 71:12
FU: Kathy Gaertner (Unassisted), 79:52

Shots: MSU 6 (Schwenke 2), FU 27 (Turner, Petro 5). Corner Kicks: MSU 4, FU 4. Goalkeeper Saves: MSU 8 (Olson 5), FU 2 (Barnes). Fouls: MSU 12, FU 10. Offsides: MSU 1, Furman 15. Yellow Cards: MSU 1 (Corker - 21:53; Conduct). Red Cards: None. Att. - 723.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/16/00
Volleyball - Christine Owen and Misty Hubenthal registered 10 kills each and the Bulldogs hit at a .301 clip Friday as Mississippi State remained unbeaten with a 3-0 blanking of host Memphis 3-0 in opening round action at the University of Memphis Invitational.

It was MSU's eighth consecutive win to open the season, one away from tying the school record set in 1992. MSU could tie and then break the school mark Saturday when the Bulldogs take on Nicholls State at 9 a.m. and Syracuse at 4:30 p.m.

"This was a great, balanced team effort," said coach Brenda Bowlin. "Our coaches came up with a solid game plan and the players stuck to it and executed it from start to finish. It seemed like we were able to answer just about everything Memphis threw at us. I was especially pleased that we didn't have any letdowns during the match."

The Bulldogs fell behind 2-1 in the opening game of the match, but it was the only time State would trail in Friday's matchup with the Tigers. State out-scored Memphis 13-2 the rest of the game to take the opener 15-3, hit a sizzling .409 en route to a season-first 15-0 win in game two, and then pulled away from 4-4 and 8-8 ties to win the series-clinching third game 15-10.

State committed just nine hitting errors and got a balanced defensive effort in the match that last just over an hour. Junior setter Dawn Steinhauser had nine digs while Katie Carraro, Christine Owen and Tanika Taylor had seven digs apiece. Owen also turned in five total blocks.

Memphis (4-4) got five kills each from April Harriman and Sarah Wengler and a match-high 10 digs from Brittany Barnett.

"Our players are excited about the 8-0 start and feel fortunate to be one of just 19 unbeaten teams in the nation," added Bowlin. "They know if they continue playing well together they have a great chance to have a special season."

MISSISSIPPI STATE 3, MEMPHIS 0
Mississippi State (8-0) 15 15 15
Memphis (4-4) 3 0 10

Cross Country - The Mississippi State cross country team returns to action Saturday at the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

MSU starts 5K competition against the 34-team field at Harry Pritchett Golf Course at 10 a.m. The Bulldogs, running their first of three meets at the University of Alabama's home cross country course, will face-off against some of the regions top teams, including: SEC foes Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi and Vanderbilt.

Head coach Al Schmidt's squad enters Saturday's race after a strong second-place finish at the season-opening Tulane Invitational.

Sophomore Joey Hansen looks to build on the solid individual showing she had at in New Orleans, La., a week ago. Hansen paced the Bulldogs at Tulane with a career-best sixth-place finish in 11:52.1. Redshirt sophomore Christine Zawaski will also look to continue her return to top form after posting an eighth-place finish (11:57.7) at the Tulane Invite, her first competition since 1998.

Sophomores Katie Longmire, Ronni Watjus and Janice Zawaski will run for MSU in Tuscaloosa Saturday along with juniors LeeAnn Ripstra and Kristin Tallent.

Soccer - Georgia Southern (7-0) scored three second half goals, then used its defense to stifle the strong offensive attacks of Mississippi State (3-3), to defeat the Bulldogs Friday afternoon at the Umbro Challenge hosted by Furman University.

Five different players, led by a pair of looks by Leslie Nickles, recorded shots for the Bulldogs to highlight the Mississippi State offense. State goalkeeper Kirstin Olson, who entered the match tied atop the State career saves list with former keeper Jennifer Croisant, recorded eight saves on 21 Georgia Southern shots to anchor the Bulldog defense. Olson has now recorded 227 saves in her career in Starkville.

"We felt the team played with intensity and desire for about 80 percent of the game and Georgia Southern took full advantage of that," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "both teams were evenly matched and the game could have gone either way. Georgia Southern took the initiative by scoring first which gave them the boost they needed. I was proud of our team today, as they did not back down from any challenges. We will look to regain our momentum against Furman on Saturday."

After battling to a halftime deadlock, Georgia Southern got off the mark just more than a minute into the second stanza when Robin Thirsk took a service from Jackie Kinsey and headed a shot past Olson into the right side of the Mississippi State goal in the 47th minute (46:37). Just more than 10 minutes later, the Eagles put together a similar scoring play, this time with Genevieve Ward offering an additional assist, with the play being finished after Kinsey hit a service inside the box and Thirsk finishing with a duplicate header past Olson in the 58th minute (57:17).

With full time drawing to a close, Amanda Bernard finished the scoring for Georgia Southern, dribbling past a host of State defenders and firing a shot past Olson in the 90th minute (89:12) to provide the final score.

"With less then 10 minutes left, we decided that we would not just sit back and accept the result, so we took a chance and played with four strikers in an attempt to get the goals we needed," McGuire said. "We were pleased by the player's competitive nature as they battled hard to regain control of the match. However, anytime you play so many in the offensive third you lose numbers defensively. Georgia Southern was able to take advantage of that."

Mississippi State will again be in action on Saturday afternoon when they continue play in the Umbro Challenge against host Furman at Eugene Stone Soccer Stadium. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. EST.

SCORING SUMMARY
At Greenville, S.C. (Umbro Challenge at Furman University)

Georgia Southern 0 3 - 3
Mississippi State 0 0 - 0

GSU: Robin Thirsk (Jackie Kinsey), 46:37
GSU: Thirsk (Kinsey, Genevieve Ward), 57:17
GSU: Amanda Bernard (Unassisted), 89:12

Shots: GSU 21 (Szeghalmi 6), MSU 8 (Nickles 2). Corner Kicks: GSU 5, MSU 2. Goalkeeper Saves: GSU 1 (Woehr), MSU 8 (Olson). Fouls: GSU 8, MSU 15. Yellow Cards: Szeghalmi (80:00; Unsportsmanlike). Red Cards: None. Att. - 101.

Men's Tennis - Members of Mississippi State's men's tennis team posted eight victories in singles and doubles play Friday in first-round action of the On The Border Challenge. The Bulldogs faced players from Clemson in singles and doubles Friday morning and followed with doubles matches against squad members from Texas in the afternoon.

In State's morning session with Clemson, the Tigers swept the Bulldogs in four doubles matches contested, but two matches were decided by tight 8-6 scores and another was determined in a tiebreaker.

In singles, the Bulldogs rebounded, winning five of seven matches played. True freshman Romain Ambert won 6-4, 6-2 over CU's Brad Emendorfer. MSU junior David Ruiz rallied after losing a close first-set tiebreaker to win 5-6, 6-3, 6-5 over Tiger Lee Walker (tiebreakers were being played at 5-5). Returning lettermen Mathieu Soto and Charles Sevigny also posted three-set wins, Sevigny in a tiebreaker in the third as well. Rounding out MSU's wins versus CU was sophomore Chris McDonald, who won 6-5, 6-4 over Clemson's Kevin Gottfried.

State then played four doubles matches with the Texas Longhorns Friday afternoon, taking three victories in those contests.

McDonald and Soto, ranked 42nd nationally, teamed for an 8-6 win over Longhorns Jorge Haro and Ryan Haymond. Sophomore Jerome Le Belicard and Ruiz notched an 8-5 win over UT's pair of Will Clinton and Gewkin. And true freshman Max Fomine teamed with Sevigny for an 8-4 win over the Texas duo of Joe Morris and Scott Walker. State's only loss to the 'Horns was an 8-7 tiebreak decision.

MSU continues action at the three-day event Saturday, as the Bulldogs will meet players from SEC rival and tournament host Georgia in singles and doubles Saturday morning. State's roster will then pair up with Texas in singles competition in the afternoon.

MSU RESULTS FROM THE ON THE BORDER CHALLENGE, Athens, Ga. -- 9/15/00

SINGLES MSU/CLEMSON--#18 Josh Goffi (Clemson) def. Ren�-Charles Combette (MSU) 6-4, 6-2; Marko Gojanovic (Clemson) def. #86 Jerome Le Belicard (MSU) 6-5, 6-1; Romain Ambert (MSU) def. Brad Emendorfer (Clemson) 6-4, 6-2; David Ruiz (MSU) def. Lee Walker (Clemson) 5-6, 6-3, 6-5; Mathieu Soto (MSU) def. Joey Hopke (Clemson) 3-6, 6-4, 6-0; Charles Sevigny (MSU) def. Eric Cohn (Clemson) 6-3, 1-6, 6-5; Chris McDonald (MSU) def. Kevin Gottfried (Clemson) 6-5 , 6-4.

DOUBLES MSU/CLEMSON-- #6 Goffi/Knight (Clemson) def. Le Belicard/Ruiz (MSU) 8-7; Emendorfer/Hopke (Clemson) def. Ambert/Combette (MSU) 8-2; Gojanovic/Walker (Clemson) def. #42 McDonald/Soto (MSU) 8-6; Cohn/Gottfried (Clemson) def. Max Fomine/Sevigny (MSU) 8-6.

MSU/TEXAS--#42 McDonald/Soto (MSU) def. Jorge Haro/Ryan Haymond (Texas) 8-6; Jean Simon/Jose Zarhi (Texas) def. Ambert/Combette (MSU) 8-7; Le Belicard/Ruiz (MSU) def. Will Clinton/Gewkin (Texas) 8-5; Fomine/Sevigny (MSU) def. Joe Morris/Scott Walker (Texas) 8-4.

Current national rankings precede player names

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/13/00
Men's Golf - The Mississippi State men's golf team posted a 301 Tuesday to claim fifth-place team honors at the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate at Osprey Point Golf Club on Kiawah Island, S.C.

The top-five showing was the second in as many tournaments for the Bulldogs, as they fired a 54-hole 884 over the two days to finish 15 shots behind team champion Alabama. MSU carded rounds of 289 and 294 to stand in third place following the opening day of action, but stumbled to fifth after Tuesday's 301.

Sophomore Codie Mudd led the Bulldogs on the 6,871-yard, par 72 Osprey Point course, firing a 219 to finish tied for 13th place. After struggling to an opening-round 75, Mudd came back with a 71 for the second round and a 73 over the final 18 holes.

Junior Jason McKenzie secured a top-20 finish in his MSU debut. The Augusta, Ga., native posted a final-round 74 to end his first Bulldog competition with a 221. Fellow junior John Mueller carded a 224 for 54 holes to tie for 27th place, three shots behind McKenzie.

Scott Shelton concluded competition tied for 42nd place (228), while redshirt freshman T.J. Washburn scored a 229 over the three rounds to finish tied for 47th.

State takes some time away from tournament action before returning to competition Oct. 2-3 at the Windon Memorial Classic at The Knollwood Club in Lake Forest, Ill.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/12/00
Tennis - Three Mississippi State singles players and two doubles teams are ranked in the preseason WingspanBank.com National Rankings, released Monday by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.Monday's poll was determined by vote of the ITA National Ranking Committee.

The Bulldogs, one of only nine men's squads nationally to have qualified for the NCAA Championship in each of the last 10 years, placed two players and two doubles teams in Monday's rankings.

Two-time, all-American Marco Baron led the way with top 5 rankings in both singles and doubles. The senior is currently ranked fourth nationally in singles and third in doubles with his partner, sophomore Charles Sevigny, who earned all-America doubles honors with Baron after the pair reached the NCAA quarterfinals last spring.

Sophomore Jerome Le Belicard was the only other MSU male ranked in singles, coming in at 86th. In doubles, State's team of Chris McDonald and Mathieu Soto was rated 42nd.

For the Lady Bulldogs, who reached the NCAA Championship's second round for the second year in a row last spring, senior Amelie Detriviere was ranked 66th in singles in Monday's poll.

Monday's preseason rankings will be in effect until after the fall season, when preseason team rankings and individual rankings based on fall results are released.

Men's Golf - The Mississippi State men's golf team fired a 583 to stand in third place following the opening 36 holes at the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate at Osprey Point Golf Club Monday.

State finished the opening 18 holes of the 6,871-yard par 72 course in the lead with a 289 total, but a 294 in the second round put MSU five shots behind leader Tulsa and one shot away from LSU.

Redshirt freshman T.J. Washburn fired a 68 to jump on top of the leaderboard, but the McDonough, Ga., native struggled to a 76 on the second 18 holes of the day to fall into a tie for seventh.

Junior John Mueller and sophomore Codie Mudd sit in a tie for 14th place with a two-round total of 146. Mueller posted rounds of 74 and 72, while Mudd struggled to an opening-round 75 before firing a 71 on the final 18 holes of the day.

In his MSU debut, junior Jason McKenzie stands in a tie for 19th place after posting a 147 Monday. After earning medalist honors at the season-opening Jordan Intercollegiate, senior Scott Shelton struggled to opening rounds of 75 and 77 for 44th place following the opening day of play.

State concludes play at the Osprey Point Golf Club with a final 18 holes Tuesday.

KIAWAH ISLAND INTERCOLLEGIATE, Osprey Point Golf Club; Kiawah Island, S.C.; Sept. 11-12

First Day Totals

Team Standings
1. Tulsa 292-286=578
2. LSU 292-290=582
3. Mississippi State 289-294=583
4. College of Charleston 300-288=588
Baylor 291-297=588
6. Alabama 292-297=589
7. South Alabama 290-301=591
8. Augusta State 293-301=594
9. Arkansas 294-302=596
10. Florida State 298-303=601
11. Central Florida 301-306=607
12. Middle Tennessee 306-305=611
13. Maryland 311-305=616
14. South Carolina-Aiken 312-315=627
15. Citadel 336-316=652

MSU Individual Results
t7. T.J. Washburn 68-76=144
t14. John Mueller 74-72=146
t14. Codie Mudd 75-71=146
t19. Jason McKenzie 72-75=147
t44. Scott Shelton 75-77=152

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/11/00
Men's Golf - The Mississippi State men's golf team returns to action this week, taking part in the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate Monday and Tuesday at Osprey Point Golf Club on Kiawah Island, S.C.

The Bulldog linksters tee off Monday on the 6,871-yard, par 72 Osprey Point course following a strong second-place showing at the season-opening G. Gunby Jordan Intercollegiate Sept. 2-3.

Senior Scott Shelton will play in the No. 1 spot for the 54-hole College of Charleston-hosted event . Shelton earned the No. 1 slot after posting a first-place finish in the season opener with a 6-under par 102 over the rain-shortened 27 holes.

John Mueller follows behind Shelton after claiming a tie for 15th at Pine Mountain, Ga., with a 2-over par 110. Sophomore Codie Mudd will follow Mueller, with redshirt freshman T.J. Washburn following behind in the four hole. Junior college transfer Jason McKenzie will see his first action for the Bulldogs, as he will step in the fifth slot for MSU this weekend.

After playing 36 holes Monday, the Bulldogs conclude the Kiawah Intercollegiate with a final 18 holes Tuesday.

Soccer - Mississippi State (3-2) erupted for three second half goals then used its defense to stymie and frustrate the Arkansas-Little Rock (2-4) offense, as the Bulldogs got back on track with a 3-0 shutout of Arkansas-Little Rock Sunday afternoon at the UALR hosted-Soccer Etc. Classic.

State got goals from three of its newcomers, but relied on the intensity and composure of its defense to thwart a handful of Trojan scoring opportunities. Goalkeeper Kirstin Olson recorded her second shutout of the campaign, tallying two saves on eight Arkansas-Little Rock shots.

"The players began the day with the right focus," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "We played with desire and intensity at every position which led to a better overall team performance. The players deserved this win today."

After the teams battled to a halftime deadlock, Leslie Nickles got Mississippi State off the mark when she collected a deflection off UALR goalkeeper Heather Friedman and rifled a shot into the back of the net in the 46th minute (45:45). Less than 15 minutes later, Elke D'Hollander gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 advantage, taking a rebounded shot and finishing the play with a shot to the left side at the 59:19 mark of the match.

With the match well-in-hand in the waning moments of the match, Miami native Michelle Provenzano cashed in on her first collegiate goal, taking an assist from both Beth Dreher and Sam Schwenke and hitting the net on the far post in the 86th minute (85:02).

Mississippi State will again be in action this weekend when they travel to Greenville, S.C., for the Furman-hosted Umbro Challenge. State will open tournament play on Friday with a match against Georgia Southern and will close out action in the four-team tournament on Saturday against host Furman.

SCORING SUMMARY
at Little Rock, Ark. (Soccer Etc. Classic)

Mississippi State (3-2) 0 3 - 3
Arkansas-Little Rock (2-4) 0 0 - 0

MSU: Leslie Nickles (Unassisted), 45:45
MSU: Elke D'Hollander (Unassisted), 59:19
MSU: Michelle Provenzano (Beth Dreher, Sam Schwenke), 85:02

Shots: MSU 18 (Kauffman 5), UALR 8 (Heinrichs 3). Corner Kicks: MSU 6, UALR 0. Goalkeeper Saves: MSU 3 (Olson 2), UALR 4 (Friedman). Fouls: MSU 16, UALR 9. Offsides: MSU 1, UALR 3. Yellow Cards: UALR 1 (Dutchover - 75:17. Red Cards: None. Att. - 213.

Volleyball - The 2000 season is but a week old, but what a week it has been for Mississippi State's Volleyball Bulldogs.

Over a seven-day period and on five playing dates Coach Brenda Bowlin's fourth MSU volleyball edition has posted a splendid 7-0 record, opening the season Sept. 3-4 by winning the Air Force Invitational in Colorado Springs, Colo., and over the weekend winning the MSU/Ramada Inn Classic.

The 7-0 start is the program's second-best overall and best since the 1992 Volleyball Bulldogs raced to a 9-0 start.

"One thing it has done is boost the confidence of our team," said Bowlin, now the third winningest volleyball coach in school history. "We've stepped up and met the challenges we've faced so far. But we'll face our stiffest tests of the season this weekend in Memphis and know that tough SEC competition begins the following weekend."

State plays tourney-host Memphis Friday at Noon and both Nicholls State and Syracuse Saturday during the University of Memphis Invitational. The Bulldogs, eager to qualify for the eight-team field of the SEC Volleyball Tournament Nov. 17-19 in Gainesville, Fla., open league play on the road the weekend of Sept. 22-24 at Kentucky and Tennessee.

In the early going the Bulldogs are hitting at a .251 rate, well above the team's .184 hitting percentage a year ago. Senior co-captain Brianne Smedley, MVP of the Air Force Tournament and an all-tournament team selection in the MSU/Ramada Inn Classic, has piled up 60 kills en route to a team-leading .434 hitting percentage. The Arlington, Texas, native has 27 total blocks and has climbed to 10th in career solo blocks with 47 and ninth in career block assists with 186.

Senior Christine Owen, MVP of the MSU/Ramada Inn Classic and an all-tournament team pick at Air Force, leads State with 85 kills and 62 digs. Her 1,285 career kills ranks third at MSU, 128 behind MSU's career-record 1,413 held by former SEC Scholar-Athlete of the year Aimee York (189-92).

The Bulldogs' success, though, hasn't been tied solely to the veterans.

Outside hitter Tanika Taylor of Rowlett, Texas, and seven-match starter and one of six first-year Bulldog players on the squad, has the fourth-highest kills total on the squad with 36 and ranks second on the club with 53 digs and 13 total blocks.

"Tanika has been a great addition to our team," said Bowlin, "but all of the new players have been improving day-to-day." All six of the freshmen have seen action during MSU's first seven matches.

Following the Memphis tournament the Bulldogs continue a run of six consecutive matches away from home Sept. 19 at UAB and then open SEC competition Sept. 22-24 during a weekend trip to Kentucky and Tennessee. Mississippi State hosts Samford Sept. 27 at the Newell-Grissom Building before taking on SEC kingpin Florida Sept. 29.

University of Memphis Invitational
Friday - MSU vs. Memphis (Noon)
Saturday - MSU vs. Nicholls State (10 a.m.)
Saturday - MSU vs. Syracuse (4:30 p.m.)

Women's Golf - The Lady Bulldogs placed second in the Derby Invitational with a team score of 909, led by senior Lina Thoren's tournament winning score of 217.

Thoren came back on Sunday, after finding herself behind two Auburn golfers after two rounds of play, to take the title at the par-72 Auburn University Club course by shooting a one-over-par score of 217. Thoren shot a third round score of 70 to place her three strokes ahead of the second place finisher.

Thoren's third round score of 70 tied the second-lowest round of her MSU career, tying a previous 70 during her spring of 1998 season. Thoren's lowest round ever was a 68 at the Lady Seminole Invitational in the fall 1999 season.

"Lina had a great come-from-behind win," said Mississippi State head coach Christi Sanders. "It was an outstanding finish coming down the stretch for her. She hit some great shots to close it out."

Mississippi State's team finish of second place put the Lady Bulldogs fifteen strokes behind the winner and host Auburn, which finished with a score of 894. Central Florida (911), Louisiana State and Vanderbilt (913), rounded out the top five finishers.

"We played great the first day, fell back a little on the second day, and had to finish strong to catch Auburn on Sunday," said Sanders. "We needed them to fall back to us, but they played strong as well. I am pleased with our second-place finish considering the strength of the field this weekend."

Mississippi State was one of seven schools in this weekend's twelve-team tournament who qualified for last year's NCAA Tournament.

Contributing to Mississippi State's team result was junior Anna Gertsson, who finished tied for 13th place with a twelve-over-par score of 228. Anna Knutsson carded a weekend score of 232 in her first action as a Lady Bulldog, to place her in a three-way tie for 23rd. Christina Clausen finished not far behind with a mark of 234. Freshman Catalina Olarte finished with a score of 247, with senior Renata Almeida shooting a 259 while playing as an individual.

The Lady Bulldogs' next tournament action will be September 29 through October 1 at the Dodge ACC/SEC Invitational Shootout in Destin, Fla. The tournament will be played at the Sandestin Gulf and Beach Resort on The Raven, a par-71 course of 6,900 yards.

AUBURN UNIVERSITY CLUB, Par: 72, 6142 Yards

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Auburn 297-293-304=894 +30
2. Mississippi State 297-309-303=909 +45
3. Central Florida 307-298-306=911 +47
4. Louisiana State 303-309-301=913 +49
Vanderbilt 307-302-304=913 +49
6. Alabama 316-303-311=930 +66
7. Florida State 313-311-311=935 +71
8. UNC-Wilmington 306-322-309=937 +73
9. South Florida 305-323-310=938 +74
10. Mississippi 316-316-310=942 +78
Tulane 321-320-301=942 +78
12. Georgia State 336-329-336=1001 +137

MSU FINAL RESULTS
1. Lina Thoren 73-74-70=217 +1
t13. Anna Gertsson 71-81-76=228 +12
t23. Anna Knutsson 75-79-78=232 +16
t27. Christina Clausen 78-75-81=234 +18
t56. Catalina Olarte 83-85-79=247 +31
66. Renata Almeida 87-83-89=259 +43

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/10/00
Volleyball - Mississippi State recovered from a shaky start in the first game of Saturday's championship match of the MSU/Ramada Inn Classic and went on to sweep previously unbeaten Tennessee Tech to claim its second tournament title in as many weekends. The Bulldogs have now won seven consecutive matches, the program's longest season-opening win streak since 1992.

MSU (7-0) struggled in the early going of the title match, falling behind the Golden Eagles (5-1) 11-6 in the opening game. But the Bulldogs came to life to win the opener 15-13 and then salted away the match with 15-5 and 15-9 wins.

Senior Christine Owen, chosen by the coaches as the tournament MVP, registered her first double-double of the season with 12 kills and a team-leading 13 digs. Brianne Smedley hit .364 with 11 kills and five blocks while junior Michele Gordon registered eight kills and a dozen digs. Both were also named to the all-tournament team.

The Bulldogs also received strong performances from sophomore Misty Hubenthal, with 13 kills and four blocks, and junior defensive specialist Katie Carraro with 12 digs.

Tennessee Tech's Maggie Stern turned in another solid outing with 13 kills and 20 digs.

"This was a great team effort this weekend," said coach Brenda Bowlin. "Our goals coming into the tournament were to work on fundamentals and ball control, and for the most part we did that. What pleased me the most was that we picked up our level of play when we needed to, especially against Tennessee Tech."

Mississippi State advanced to the championship match by blanking Centenary 3-0 Saturday morning. State pulled away from a 4-4 deadlock and out-scored the Centenary Ladies 11-1 down the stretch to win the opening game 15-5. The Bulldogs muscled to a 15-1 win in the second game and sealed the match with a 15-8 verdict in the third frame.

Smedley, Owen and Hubenthal shared team scoring honors with five kills each, while freshman Tanika Taylor totaled a match-high nine digs. Four of the five MSU freshmen that played registered kills, including four each by Taylor and Lauren Bounds.

"This team has made some strides in the first two weeks of the season, and with each win the players' confidence level has risen. But we know very well SEC competition is just around the corner and that we have to keep improving to get ready for league play," said Bowlin.

Mississippi State concludes its September tournament schedule next weekend in Memphis, Tenn., joining Syracuse, Nicholls State and the University of Memphis in the Memphis Invitational. The Bulldogs do not play at home again until hosting Samford Sept. 27 in the Newell-Grissom Building.

MISSISSIPPI STATE 3, TENNESSEE TECH 0
Tennessee Tech (5-1) 13 5 9
Mississippi State (7-0) 15 15 15

MISSISSIPPI STATE 3, CENTENARY 0
Mississippi State (6-0) 15 15 15
Centenary (1-6) 5 1 8

MSU/Ramada Inn Classic All-Tournament Team
Brandi Patterson (Centenary), Audrey Benitez (UL-Monroe), Stephanie Busch (Tenn. Tech), Maggie Stern (Tenn. Tech), Brianne Smedley (MSU), Michele Gordon (MSU), MVP Christine Owen (MSU).

Women's Golf - After posting a score of 309 for their second round of play on Saturday, the Mississippi State women's golf team sits in third place in the Derby Invitational at Auburn, Alabama. Combined with their score of 297 from Friday's play, the Lady Bulldogs' score of 606 puts them one stroke behind Central Florida and fifteen strokes behind the tournament leader and host Auburn.

Senior Lina Thoren leads the Lady Bulldogs on the Auburn University Club course with a score of 147 to put her three-over-par and in third place. Anna Gertsson sits in fourteenth place with a eight-over-par score of 152, followed closely by teammates Christina Clausen, tied for fifteenth place with a score of 153, and Anna Knutsson, tied for seventeenth place with a score 154. Freshman Catalina Olarte shot a 168 for the Lady Bulldogs, while Renata Almeida carded a 170 while playing as an individual.

Auburn sits in first place with a score of 590, followed by Central Florida's 605 and Mississippi State's 606. Vanderbilt and Louisiana State round out the top five with scores of 609 and 612 respectively.

Auburn's Courtney Swaim and Celeste Troche lead the tournament with scores of 144 and 146 respectively, followed by MSU's Thoren with her score of 147.

Final round of action for the Derby Invitational begins Sunday at 8 a.m. Mississippi State's first tee time begins at 9 a.m.

AUBURN UNIVERSITY CLUB, Par: 72, 6142 Yards

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Auburn 297-293=590 +14
2. Central Florida 307-298=605 +29
3. Mississippi State 297-309=606 +30
4. Vanderbilt 307-302=609 +33
5. Louisiana State 303-309=612 +36
6. Alabama 316-303=619 +43
7. Florida State 313-311=624 +48
8. South Florida 305-323=628 +52
UNC-Wilmington 306-322=628 +52
10. Mississippi 316-316=632 +56
11. Tulane 321-320=641 +65
12. Georgia State 336-329=665 +89

MSU RESULTS
3. Lina Thoren 73-74=147 +3
14. Anna Gertsson 71-81=152 +8
t15. Christina Clausen 78-75=153 +9
t17. Anna Knutsson 75-79=154 +10
t59. Catalina Olarte 83-85=168 +24
t64. Renata Almeida 87-83=170 +26

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/09/00
Volleyball - Mississippi State extended its season-opening win streak to five Friday night, blanking Louisiana-Monroe in a 54-minute opening round match in the MSU/Ramada Inn Classic being held in Humphrey Coliseum.

State zipped to 15-2 and 15-3 wins and coach Brenda Bowlin emptied the Bulldog bench in a match-clinching 15-7 win in game three.

"This was a nice win for us and a great way to open the tournament," said Bowlin, now 37-58 in three-plus years at MSU and the third-winningest coach in 26 years of Bulldog volleyball. "We stuck with the fundamentals tonight and got some good results."

Senior Christine Owen set the pace for the Bulldogs, totaling nine kills and eight digs. Freshman Tanika Taylor was right behind with eight kills and eight digs, hitting at a .667 rate with no hitting errors. State, in fact, hit at a season-best .344 rate with a season-low nine hitting errors.

All 13 healthy Bulldogs saw court action, with five freshmen on the floor at the same time in the third game. Setter Jennifer Hadden saw her most extensive playing time of the year, recording 16 assists and four total blocks.

UL-Monroe (0-5) got three kills and nine digs from TeAna Crutcher.

In the opening match of the tournament, Tennessee Tech maintained its unblemished mark with a 15-3, 15-5, 15-12. Sophomore Maggie Stern, the 1999 Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, had 10 kills on an error-free, .714 hitting night and added a match-high eight digs. Annette Kupka chipped in seven kills for Tech.

Karen Asplin had four kills and six digs to pace Centenary.

The MSU/Ramada Inn Classic resumes today at 10 a.m. as the host Bulldogs meet Centenary at 10 a.m. and Tennessee Tech tangles with Louisiana-Monroe at Noon. MSU wraps up the round-robin tournament at 4 p.m. against Tennessee Tech.

The tournament is being held in Humphrey Coliseum and there is no charge for admission.

MSU 3, LOUISIANA-MONROE 0
Louisiana-Monroe (0-5) 2 3 7
Mississippi State (5-0) 15 15 15

TENNESSEE TECH 3, CENTENARY 0
Centenary (1-5) 3 5 12
Tennessee Tech (4-0) 15 15 15

Cross Country - The Mississippi State cross country team opened the season on a positive note Friday afternoon, claiming a second-place finish at the Tulane Invitational in New Orleans, La.

Paced by sophomore Joey Hansen, head coach Al Schmidt's harriers put together 82 points to trail only team champion Alabama at the conclusion of the race. State tied host Tulane with 82 points each, but the Bulldogs claimed the second-place finish with higher placings in the four and five spots.

"I was very pleased with our performance," Schmidt said. "I'm very happy about the way we ran in the season opener. We finished ahead of good teams like Southern Mississippi and LSU.

Hansen ran the two-mile Levee Oaks Park Course in 11:52.1 to claim a sixth-place finish, the first top-10 showing of her career.

Hansen was closely followed by sophomore Christine Zawaski, who looked solid in her first cross country action since 1998. Zawaski posted her fourth career top-10 finish, as she claimed eighth-place honors in 11:57.7.

Fellow sophomore Katie Longmire posted her best collegiate finish (13th place) in 12:07.8, as she was the third MSU runner to cross the finish line. After being knocked down at the starting line, fellow second-year runner Ronni Watjus fought back from last place to record a 22nd-place showing in 12:39.2.

Junior LeeAnn Ripstra posted 34th-place honors in 13:01.6, while fellow junior Kristin Tallent finished immediately behind Ripstra in 35th place (13:04.9). Second-year runner Martha Hudsonpillar finished the race 38th in 13:14.8, and freshman Janice Zawaski rounded out the Bulldog contingent with a 14:14.9 clocking for 59th place.

The Bulldogs' will go up against Alabama once again next weekend, as State competes in the Sept. 16 Crimson Classic at the Harry Pritchett Golf Course in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Next weekend's race in Tuscaloosa marks the first of three races the Bulldogs will run at the University of Alabama.

2000 Tulane Invitational, New Orleans, La.; Levee Oaks Park Course

Team Results
1. Alabama 64
2. Mississippi State 82
3. Tulane 82
4. New Orleans 96
5. Southern Miss. 119
6. Louisiana-Lafayette 122
7. Southeastern La. 171
8. LSU 194
9. Nicholls State 237
10. Jackson State 250
11. Xavier 317

MSU Individual Finishers
6. Joey Hansen 11:52.1
8. Christine Zawaski 11:57.7
13. Katie Longmire 12:07.8
22. Ronni Watjus 12:39.2
34. LeeAnn Ripstra 13:01.6
35. Kristin Tallent 13:04.9
38. Martha Hudsonpillar 13:14.8
59. Janice Zawaski 14:14.9

Women's Golf - The Mississippi State women's golf team opened the fall season in fine-form Friday at the Derby Invitational, posting an opening round score of 297 to tie for first place with host Auburn.

Junior Anna Gertsson leads the pack for Mississippi State with a score of one-under-par 71 that places her in a tie for first place with Courtney Swaim of Auburn. Gertsson's score of 33 on the front nine of the Auburn University Club course was the lowest score posted for nine holes on the day.

Senior Lina Thoren finds herself not far behind her teammate, as she shot a 73 to place her in a three-way tie for third place. Anna Knutsson posted a 75 in her first round as a Lady Bulldog, placing her in a five-way tie for eleventh place. Sophomore Christina Clausen stands in contention after carding a 78, while freshman Catalina Olarte shot an 83 for the Lady Bulldogs. Playing as an individual, MSU senior Renata Almeida scored an 87.

Mississippi State and Auburn sit five strokes ahead of Louisiana State, the third-place team at 303. South Florida and UNC-Wilmington round out the top five after posting scores of 305 and 306 respectively.

Second round action at Auburn begins tomorrow at 7 a.m., with the final round of competition to be played Sunday.

DERBY INVITATIONAL, AUBURN UNIVERSITY CLUB - AUBURN, ALABAMA, Par: 72, Yardage: 6,142

TEAM SCORES
1. Auburn 297 +9
Mississippi State 297 +9
2. Louisiana State 303 +15
4. South Florida 305 +17
5. UNC-Wilmington 306 +18
6. Central Florida 307 +19
Vanderbilt 307 +19
8. Florida State 313 +25
9. Alabama 316 +28
Mississippi 316 +28
11. Tulane 321 +33
12. Georgia State 336 +48

MISSISSIPPI STATE INDIVIDUAL SCORES
t1. Anna Gertsson 33-38 71 -1
t3. Lina Thoren 36-37 73 +1
t11. Anna Knutsson 38-37 75 +3
t32. Christina Clausen 37-41 78 +6
t55. Catalina Olarte 44-39 83 +11
t65. Renata Almeida 42-45 87 +15

Soccer - Centenary (3-2) netted a pair of goals in the first 23 minutes of play, then held back a furious charge by the Mississippi State (2-2) offense, to grab a 2-1 victory over the Bulldogs in the opening match of the Soccer Etc. Classic Friday afternoon in Little Rock, Ark.

Beth Dreher netted her first career goal in the 26th minute of action, but the Bulldogs were forced into a comeback role against a stiff Centenary defense the rest of the way out. State goalkeeper Kirstin Olson collected four saves on 11 Centenary shots to highlight the Bulldog defense.

"This is certainly very disappointing," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "Our whole team came out flat the first half, which led to the two goal deficit. We played with passion and determination in the second half, but ran out of time. These are traits that must become an inherent part of our program.

We will look to learn from this and move on. It will be a test of our team character. Sunday cannot come soon enough for the team."

After battling for possession near the midfield stripe for much of the opening moments of play, Centenary used confusion in traffic inside the Mississippi State box to find a hole in the Bulldog defense. Sarah Dewitt collected a rebound in a sea of maroon and white jerseys and fired a shot past Olson in the 15th minute (14:00) to give Centenary an early 1-0 lead.

The Ladies struck again in the 23rd minute (22:31) when Shannon Richardson found Lara Brown on a through ball into open space and Brown finished with a close-range shot that escaped the fingertips of Olson. Moments later, Dreher used a loft over Centenary goalkeeper Heather Lindsey's head at the 25:23 mark to cash in on her first career goal and give the Bulldogs just a one goal deficit heading into the halftime break. Both teams exhibited a handful of scoring chances in the second half, but neither was able to cash in on the opportunities.

Mississippi State will again be in action on Sunday when they wrap up action in the Soccer Etc. Classic with a contest against host Arkansas-Little Rock. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at the Riverdale Soccer Complex.

SCORING SUMMARY
at Little Rock, Ark. (Soccer Etc. Classic)

Mississippi State (2-2) 1 0 - 1
Centenary (3-2) 2 0 - 2

CENT: Sarah Dewitt (Lara Brown), 14:00
CC: Lara Brown (Shannon Richardson), 22:31
MSU: Beth Dreher (Unassisted), 25:23

Shots: MSU 10 (Dreher 3), CC 11 (Bigler 4). Corner Kicks: MSU 2, CC 6. Goalkeeper Saves: MSU 4 (Olson), CC 2 (Lindsey). Fouls: MSU 12, CC 11. Yellow Cards: None. Red Cards: None. Att. * 53.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/08/00
Volleyball - It's home, sweet home on weekend No. 2 of the 2000 season for Mississippi State's Volleyball Bulldogs, who put their unblemished 4-0 mark on the line in the MSU/Ramada Inn Classic Friday and Saturday in Humphrey Coliseum.

The two-day tournament gets underway at 5 p.m. when Centenary College tangles with Tennessee Tech (3-0). Mississippi State then hits the coliseum court at 7:30 p.m. against Louisiana-Monroe. The tournament continues with four Saturday matches, beginning at 10 a.m. with the MSU-Centenary match and ending at 4 p.m. when the Bulldogs take on the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.

"Our players are looking forward to the tournament and playing in Humphrey Coliseum," said coach Brenda Bowlin. "We've still got many questions to answer about our team and need to continue working hard to get better with each match."

Five of MSU's six freshmen have hit the court in the first week of the season, but it has been the solid play of MSU senior co-captains Christine Owen and Brianne Smedley that has sparked Mississippi State to its first 4-0 start since 1992.

Owen has claimed the early team lead with 59 kills and 35 digs, including a season-best 21 kills in the Bulldogs' 3-1 Wednesday night win over Belmont. Owen, who as a freshman set the school record with 513 kills, enters the weekend with 1,259 career kills, fourth-most in 26 years of MSU volleyball. The Katy, Texas, native is 155 kills away from passing MSU record-holder Aimee York (1989-92) as State's all-time kills leader.

Brianne Smedley has developed into a formidable force at the net in just her third season as a middle blocker. She has totaled six block solos this season and has entered MSU's career top 10 in the category with 47, tying former MSU standout Melissa Karriker (1993-96). The Arlington, Texas, product has also registered 11 block assists in four matches to move past Amy Penrose (1989-92) as MSU's No. 10 all-time leader with 176 career assisted blocks. Smedley's prowess continues on offense where she has registered 41 kills and a sizzling .493 hitting mark. She currently sports a dandy .254 career hitting percentage, the sixth-highest career hitting total by a Bulldog.

State isn't the only unbeaten team in this year's MSU/Ramada Inn Classic. The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (3-0) lost just one game last weekend in sweeping their three opponents and winning the Marist Tournament in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Sophomore Maggie Stern, the 1999 Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, leads the Golden Eagles with 71 kills, 62 digs and 11 service aces.

Centenary College from Shreveport, La., entered a Thursday night match at Jackson State looking for its first win after four early-season setbacks. The Ladies dropped all three matches to in-state rivals last weekend at the Tulane Invitational. Louisiana-Monroe, led by first year Lady Indian head coach Lisa Martin-Varytimidis, opened its season last weekend at the Southern Illinois Invitational.

Mississippi State is seeking its fourth September tournament win in the past two seasons and its third consecutive home tournament title in four years. The Bulldogs swept past Samford, Louisiana-Lafayette and Memphis to win the 1999 MSU Invitational.

There is no charge for admission to the MSU-Ramada Inn Classic and all Mississippi State home volleyball matches this fall.

MSU/RAMADA INN CLASSIC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Friday, Sept. 8
Tennessee Tech vs. Centenary (5 p.m.)
MSU vs. Louisiana-Monroe (7:30 p.m.)

Saturday, Sept. 9
MSU vs. Centenary (10 a.m.)
Louisiana-Monroe vs. Tennessee Tech (Noon)
Centenary vs. Louisiana-Monroe (2 p.m.)
MSU vs. Tennessee Tech (4 p.m.)

Soccer - With his Bulldog soccer team off to its best start in three years, Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire is very happy with his team's positive progression thus far into the campaign.

"As a team, we are always looking to continue to improve on all aspects of our play," McGuire said. "We have worked hard on both the offensive movement and defensive organization thus far and it has allowed us to be more effective on all fronts."

Mississippi State continues a six-game roadswing this weekend when it travels to Little Rock, Ark., to take part in the four-team Soccer Etc. Classic hosted by UALR. The Bulldogs will open tournament play on Friday afternoon with a contest against the Centenary Ladies and will close out Classic play on Sunday against host Arkansas-Little Rock.

"This tournament will be a good test for us," McGuire said. "We play against two well-disciplined teams. We are excited by the prospect of the challenges that lie ahead."

State holds a history with both ballclubs, having played the Ladies and Trojans a combined five times in the five-year history of the Mississippi State program. The Bulldogs evened up its series with Centenary at one match apiece last season with a 1-0 victory in Shreveport.

The Bulldogs have had the better hand in the series with Arkansas-Little Rock, having taken all three matches by a combined score of 11-1, including a 6-1 victory in the last meeting in 1997.

"It is important that our players continue to play with the type of intensity they have showed everyday in practice, as this will keep us competitive in every game," McGuire said.

Kickoff for Friday's matchup with Centenary is set for 3 p.m. while gametime for Sunday's tournament-closing contest against UALR is slated for 1 p.m. All matches in the Soccer Etc. Classic will be played at the Riverdale Soccer Complex in Little Rock.

Cross Country - Mississippi State head cross country coach Al Schmidt's Bulldogs open the 2000 cross country season Friday afternoon at the Tulane Invitational in New Orleans, La.

The Bulldogs will run the two-mile Lakefront Course as part of an 11-team field that includes in-state foes Southern Mississippi and Jackson State along with SEC foes Alabama and LSU.

State will look for a strong return from redshirt sophomore Christine Zawaski. The Edmonton, Alberta, native missed last season with a nagging injury after pacing the Bulldogs in all seven meets as a true freshman in 1998. Zawaski, a 1998 all-South Region competitor, won her collegiate debut at the 1998 LSU Opener.

Zawaski will be joined by fellow sophomores Joey Hansen and Ronni Watjus. Hansen, a second-year runner from Mauston, Wis., paced MSU in four meets last season, claiming her best finish (18th place) and her top clocking (18:57) at the Clemson Invitational.

As a first-year runner for Schmidt's Bulldogs, Watjus finished three races as the team's second runner before pacing the squad in the season-ending NCAA South Region meet. The Moss Point, Miss., native finished 44th of 223 runners at the NCAA meet in a collegiate-best 18:07.94.

Juniors LeeAnn Ripstra and Kristin Tallent comprise the remainder of the MSU squad competing Friday evening along with sophomores Martha Hudsonpillar, Katie Longmire and Janice Zawaski.

Women's Golf - Mississippi State's women's golf team tees off the fall season this weekend at the Derby Invitational in Opelika, Alabama.

The tournament will be played at the par-72 Auburn University Club. The 6,142-yard course will host 12 schools to compete in the 54-hole tournament.

Head Coach Christi Sanders unveiled the weekend's lineup that consists of three returning players and two newcomers. Senior Lina Thoren, junior Anna Gertsson and sophomore Christina Clausen will look to continue their excellence shown in last year's play. Anna Knutsson of Malmo, Sweden, and Catalina Olarte of Bogota, Columbia, begin their Lady Bulldog careers with this competition. Senior Renata Almeida will compete as an individual in this weekend's tournament.

"The field in this tournament is the toughest the team has ever faced in our first outing," Coach Sanders said, as her Lady Bulldogs prepare to face five other Southeastern Conference schools. "The players are ready to get back into competition."

Joining MSU in the Derby Invitational are 2000 NCAA Tournament qualifiers Auburn, Central Florida, Louisiana State, South Florida, Tulane and Vanderbilt along with Alabama, Florida State, Georgia State, Mississippi and UNC-Wilmington.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/07/00 - Mississippi State battled scrappy Belmont for nearly two hours Wednesday night before nailing down a 3-1 college volleyball win in the Bulldogs' home opener at the Newell-Grissom Building.

State (4-0) appeared headed for a quick night of volleyball, racing to 9-0 and 12-1 leads in the opening game. But Belmont battled back before bowing 15-8 and then evened the match with a 15-11 win in game two. State then put the match away with 15-6 and 15-9 wins after the break to remain unbeaten for the season.

Senior co-captains Christine Owen and Brianne Smedley paced the Bulldogs. Owen registered a season-high 21 kills with nine digs and Smedley had 10 kills on an error-free .556 hitting night.

"I was pleased with the end result but not with the way we played tonight," said Bulldog head coach Brenda Bowlin. "We had way too many breakdowns in our passing game and serving. But you have to give Belmont credit for battling hard all the way. Our two seniors were the difference for us tonight, especially Brianne (Smedley). She was one of our more consistent players last year and that has carried over to her senior season."

Sophomore Misty Hubenthal delivered four service aces and junior Katie Carraro had a team-high 12 digs for MSU.

Katie Linde paced the Bruins with nine kills and a match-high 15 digs. Kristin Moore also hit double digits in digs with 13.

Mississippi State continues its four-match homestand this weekend in Humphrey Coliseum, playing host to Louisiana-Monroe, Centenary College and Tennessee Tech in the MSU/Ramada Inn Classic.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/6/00
Volleyball - With a successful season-opening tournament championship safely tucked away, the Mississippi State Volleyball Bulldogs launch a 13-match home schedule Wednesday, playing host to the Belmont Bruins in a 6 p.m. match at the Newell-Grissom Building.

MSU enters the match with an unblemished 3-0 worksheet after posting a trio of wins over the Labor Day weekend in Colorado Springs, Colo., at the Air Force Invitational Volleyball Tournament. State breezed to 3-0 wins over Lehigh University (15-4, 15-7, 15-5) and Jacksonville (Ala.) State University (15-4, 15-8, 15-3) Sunday and fought off a stiff challenge from the host Air Force Falcons to claim a 3-2 thriller (15-7, 16-14, 9-15, 4-15, 15-10) in Monday's tournament championship match.

"This was a great experience for the team," said fourth-year Bulldog volleyball coach Brenda Bowlin. "We need to grow as a team with every match we play to have a chance to meet the goals we have established for the season. I believe we did some growing on our way to winning that first tournament."

Bowlin was pleased with the play of the Bulldog veterans and newcomers, with senior co-captains Brianne Smedley and Christine Owen leading the way during the Bulldogs' debut weekend.

Smedley, the team's top percentage hitter the past two seasons, claimed tournament MVP honors after hitting at a sizzling .472 clip (31 kills) and taking charge at the net with 14 total blocks for the weekend. Owen, who earned her fifth career all-tournament team designation, piled up a team-leading 38 kills and 26 digs, also a team-high.

A third Bulldog, junior Dawn Steinhauser, was tabbed for all-tournament honors, registering 10 kills and 24 digs in her career debut as Mississippi State's starting setter.

Eleven of MSU's 13 players saw action in the two-day tournament, including five of State's six freshmen. Rookie rightside hitter Tanika Taylor totaled 16 kills, 19 digs and a team-leading eight block assists as a starter in all three matches. Sophomore Misty Hubenthal also made her debut in the MSU starting lineup a successful one, piling up 36 kills with a .241 hitting percentage, 21 digs and a team-best six service aces.

For the weekend, the Bulldogs out-hit their three opponents .239 to .051.

"It was a great way to start the new season, but we know very well that we must continue to get better with each match to get ready for Southeastern Conference competition," said coach Bowlin. "The tournament at Air Force was a confidence-builder for our team, and now we have an opportunity to build on that momentum with our next four matches at home."

Following Wednesday night's match with Belmont the Bulldogs entertain Centenary College, Louisiana-Monroe and Tennessee-Tech in the MSU/Ramada Inn Classic this weekend. The Friday-Saturday competition will be held in Humphrey Coliseum.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

9/02/00
Soccer - Although impressing head coach Neil McGuire with its intensity and maturity for much of match, Mississippi State (1-1) was victimized by four first half goals by Miami (2-1) in a 5-1 loss Friday evening in the opening match of the 2000 'Bama Classic in Tuscaloosa.

Jessica Kauffman scored her second goal of the campaign on the first shot by State in the contest, with Lauren Hall adding an assist, to pace the Bulldog offense. Kirstin Olson worked the entire match inside the Mississippi State nets and recorded eight saves to highlight the Mississippi State defense.

"The positives of this match would include that we competed for 90 minutes against a very talented Miami team," McGuire said. "We handled the pressure of the game in a fashion that shows the increasing maturity of our team.

"While we will never accept defeat, we will always credit personal development. Our team played to a level higher than I have seen so far in my time here at Mississippi State."

After both teams battled for possession near the midfield stripe in the opening moments of the match, Miami's Laura West broke the deadlock in the fifth minute (4:01) when she connected on a shot from the top of the MSU box that barely missed the fingertips of Olson. Despite the one goal deficit, State answered quickly when Hall found Kauffman on a one-timer just a couple of feet in front of the Miami goal in the 10th minute (9:21) that evened things up at one apiece.

But, Miami answered the challenge from the Bulldogs just two minutes later on an Alexis MacKenzie goal that rebounded off an Olson challenge in the 13th minute (12:17). Olson had left her box to challenge a breakaway by Laura West, but the ball squirted through the two players and found the feet of MacKenzie.

Miami added a pair of goals in the 35th (34:50) and 43rd (42:50) minutes, respectively, to take a 4-1 lead into the halftime break.

Despite the halftime deficit, Mississippi State stifled numerous second half chances by the Hurricanes, but Miami added a fifth goal in the 82nd (81:08) when Vonda Matthews found the back of the net.

Mississippi State will take Saturday off before closing out its portion of play at the Bama Classic on Sunday morning against Jacksonville State. Game time is set for 11 a.m. at the Alabama Soccer Complex on the campus of the University of Alabama.

Men's Golf - The Mississippi State men's golf team tees off the 2000 fall season at this weekend's G. Gunby Jordan Intercollegiate in Pine Mountain, Ga.

The Bulldogs will compete as part of a 12-team field that includes defending champion Virginia Tech and southeast region competitors UNC-Charlotte, Jacksonville State, Kentucky, South Florida and Middle Tennessee.

State plays 36 holes Saturday at the 6,904-yard, par 72 Callaway Gardens Resort Course and finishes the two-round tournament with 18 holes Sunday.

Sophomore Codie Mudd will be in the No. 1 position for MSU after finishing his rookie campaign with a 76.54 stroke average over 26 rounds of play. The Louisville, Ky., native fired a three-round 234 to tie for 61st place in his collegiate debut at last year's Jordan Intercollegiate.

He will be followed in the two spot by senior Scott Shelton. In five tournament appearances last season, the Paris, Texas, native averaged a 74.73 average.

The other three starters for MSU are junior John Mueller, redshirt freshman T.J. Washburn and true rookie Alan Beers. Mueller matched Mudd with nine tournament appearances last season, finishing the year with a 75.84 average.

Volleyball - In the past they played on separate teams but were members of the same successful Front Range club volleyball organization in Colorado. But during this weekend's season-opening competition at the Air Force Invitational in Colorado Springs, Colo., junior middle blocker Michele Gordon and freshman middle Hilary Chambers will be teammates for the first time, perhaps even playing in tandem at the net for Mississippi State's Volleyball Bulldogs.

Gordon, one of three returning starters on this year's MSU club, and Chambers, one of six freshmen, will be enjoying a homecoming of sorts during Mississippi State's first-ever volleyball venture to their home state, Colorado. Gordon hails from Littleton and Chambers from Highlands Ranch, both in the sprawling Denver metro area.

"I was thrilled back in the spring when I heard that we'd be opening the 2000 season in the Air Force Invitational," said Gordon. "It'll be great to be playing in my home state with tons of family and friends there."

Gordon drew 17 starts as a sophomore, totaling 182 kills, 90 digs and ranking second on the club with 82 total blocks. She is expected to draw starting duties at the net next to senior co-captain Brianne Smedley. Chambers, meanwhile, is expected to be one of the first players off the bench as a replacement for either of MSU's starting middles.

"I'm excited about the tournament and getting to open the season and my college career in my home state," said Chambers. "It will feel great to be wearing the Maroon and White for the first time and in front of so many friends and relatives."

Mississippi State opens its 26th season of volleyball Sunday 11 a.m. (CT) in a first-ever matchup with the Lehigh Mountain hawks. In a 6 p.m. Sunday match the Bulldogs take on Jacksonville (Ala.) State University, coached by former MSU assistant coach Jose Rivera. State then closes out its first weekend of competition Monday with a 10 a.m. match against tourney host Air Force.

The weekend competition marks the beginning of Brenda Bowlin's fourth season as Mississippi State head volleyball coach. "This will be a good early test for our team," said Bowlin. "It's good early-season competition and an opportunity to play in the home state of two of our players. That's something we like to do in scheduling when we can."

MSU travels to Colorado late Friday, and after a practice session Saturday at East Gym on the Air Force Academy campus, raises the curtain on the new season with two matches Sunday. That's none too soon for the Volleyball Bulldogs.

"We've been working hard during the preseason, and I sense a great chemistry developing with this team," added Gordon. "Now it's time to hit the court and measure the progress that we've made."

MSU returns to the Magnolia State for its next four matches, entertaining Belmont Wednesday, Sept. 6 (6 p.m.) in the Newell-Grissom Building and then hosting Louisiana-Monroe, Centenary College and Tennessee Tech Sept. 8-9 in the MSU/Ramada Inn Classic at Humphrey Coliseum.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

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