09/30/01
WOMEN'S TENNIS
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Mississippi State sophomore Yumi Ueda endured a grueling three-set match Saturday to advance to her draw's championship match at the Robert Alison Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Ueda dropped the first set of her H Draw semifinal match against Auburn-Montgomery's Carla Bruno, but she fought back to win the second and force the deciding third set.

The Hyogo, Japan, native fell behind 3-0 in the final set, but she won six straight games to claim a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory that places her in Sunday's championship tilt against Washington State's Zsofi Fodor.

"Yumi played a fabulous match today. She displayed a lot of good strategy, and we are very excited to see her in the finals," MSU head coach Tracy Lane said. "She was down in the third set, but she showed a lot of character and fought back to win the match."

The other two Lady Bulldogs in action Saturday did not fair as well in their semifinal matches. Senior Carole Soubis fell to Auburn's Petra Bercik 6-4, 6-3 in the semis of the B Draw. Soubis, the top seed in her draw, will play Florida State's second-seeded Jess Balbuena in a Sunday morning battle to determine third place.

Junior Elaine Fagan also fell into the third place match Saturday. The Dublin, Ireland, native and top seed in the G Draw dropped a tough first set en route to a hard-fought 7-5, 6-1 loss to host Alabama's Stefanie Leung. Sophomore Justyna Switala defaulted her consolation match to Arizona State's Julia Searle due to an injury.

In doubles action, the duo of Fagan and Soubis finished sixth in the B Draw after dropping a tough 9-7 decision to Auburn's tandem of Carolina Ramirez and Bercik Saturday.

Soubis and Ueda begin the final day of action in Tuscaloosa, Ala., with 8 a.m. matches, while Fagan concludes action for the Lady Bulldog netters with a 9:30 a.m. contest.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

"We did a good job of bouncing back from last night's loss to South Carolina and were able to put our offense and defense together today," said Bulldog head coach Brenda Bowlin. "Everyone got in and contributed to what was a team win. Hopefully it will serve as a confidence-builder heading into Tuesday night's match at Samford and next weekend's SEC matches here with LSU and Arkansas."

Misty Hubenthal paced the Bulldogs with 11 kills while Lauren Bounds had nine kills with no errors on a .563 hitting performance. The Bulldogs out-hit the Gamecocks .269 to .135.

MSU also built up a 42-37 edge in digs, again with eight of 10 Bulldogs contributing to the total. Bounds registered a team-high eight.

State fell behind 7-3 in the early stages of the opening game, recovering with an 8-0 run en route to a 30-21 win. The Bulldogs held off a JSU rally to take a 30-28 win in game two and a 2-0 match lead, and then raced to an 8-1 advantage in the third game before clinching their sixth win of the year with a 30-11 decision in the final stanza.

Jenny Brenneman had seven kills and Christina Cary 10 digs to lead the Gamecocks.

The Bulldogs continue non-conference play Tuesday night in Birmingham, Ala., testing Samford's Bulldogs. State then returns to action at the Newell-Grissom Building hosting Western Division rivals LSU (Oct. 5) and Arkansas (Oct. 7).

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Senior Anna Gertsson climbed to third place after a round of 75 on Saturday. She is seven shots behind leader Kristy McPherson of South Carolina.

Freshman Natalie Booth carded a career-best round of 75 on the day, giving her a 151 for the weekend and tying her for 10th in the tournament, her first as a Bulldog. Junior Anna Knutsson is tied for 16th with a score of 154 on the weekend. Freshmen Janet Dyer and Beth Irwin are both tied for 33rd with a 161 mark through two rounds. Sophomore Ashley Moffett is in 59th place with a score of 177.

The University of Florida leads the event with a score of 598, 11 shots ahead of the Lady Bulldogs.

Coach Christi Sanders' squad continues action Sunday at the Raven Golf Course in Sandestin, Fla.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

09/29/01
SOCCER
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State (6-3) punched in two first half goals and got a 90-minute effort from its entire team as the Bulldogs moved three games above .500 for the first time since Nov. 2, 1997, with a 3-0 dismantling of Duquesne (1-5-1) Friday afternoon at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.

State freshman Jessi Moore matched MSU's single season assists record with her eighth and ninth of the campaign and contributed to the outcome of the game with a second half goal. The win also extended Mississippi State's home unbeaten streak to six games and evened up head coach Neil McGuire's Division I coaching record at 14-14-1.

"This was a true team effort today with all 23 of our players getting significant time," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "I thought that our players played in a controlled and disciplined manner and I felt they dominated the entire game. We must now look forward to Sunday and the challenge that UTEP will bring."

Amber Rose got MSU off the mark quickly, redirecting a free kick from Moore in the 5th minute (4:49) into the back of the net to give the Bulldogs a quick 1-0 lead. Freshman Amy Van Zandt extended the State lead to a pair of goals less than 10 minutes later when she took a through ball from Moore and rifled it past Duquesne goalkeeper Kristin Scharphorn to cap the first half scoring.

Moore gave MSU an insurance goal just 53 seconds (45:53) into the second half to provide the final.

State finished the game with a 11-6 shot advantage, limiting the Dukes to just a lone first half shot. MSU collected a season-high eight first half corner kicks and ended the game with a 9-1 advantage in that category.

The Bulldogs will return to action on Sunday when the Maroons return to the Mississippi State Soccer Field to host the UTEP Miners. Game time is set for 12 p.m. and admission is free of charge.

SCORING SUMMARY, At Starkville, Miss. (Mississippi State Soccer Field)

Duquesne 0 0 - 0
Mississippi State 2 1 - 3

4:49 MSU Amber Rose (Jessi Moore)
14:02 MSU Amy Van Zandt (Patterson, Moore)
45:53 MSU Jessi Moore (Van Zandt)

Shots: MSU 11 (Van Zandt, Peterson 2), DUQ 6 (Burns 2). Corner Kicks: MSU 9, DUQ 1. Goalkeeper Saves: MSU 2 (Ellmo), DUQ 1 (Scharphorn). Offsides: MSU 0, DUQ 2. Cautions: MSU - Berry (9:19; Dissension). Ejections: None. Att. - 310.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

09/29/01
WOMEN'S TENNIS
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Three members of the Mississippi State Lady Bulldog tennis team posted wins Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Roberta Alison Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Senior Carole Soubis advanced to the semifinals with a 6-2, 7-6 (3) win over Troy State's Jayne Hutchinson in the B Singles Draw. The Moulins, France, native and top seed in her draw, will face SEC foe and fourth-seeded Petra Percik of Auburn Saturday morning for a chance to move into Sunday's championship match.

Junior Elaine Fagan, the top seed in the G Draw, started off on the winning track at the University of Alabama-hosted tournament as well. The Dublin, Ireland, product dropped the first set to Arkansas State's Marusa Pogacnik before rallying back to take a hard-fought 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) win. Fagan advances to the semis, where she faces host Alabama's Stefanie Leung, the draw's fourth seed.

The other singles win for head coach Tracy Lane's squad came from sophomore Yumi Ueda. Ueda, the top seed in the H Draw, held on to win a grueling first set before cruising in the second to down the Crimson Tide's Julie Ferguson 7-5, 6-2. Ueda faces Auburn-Montgomery's Carla Bruno in Saturday's semifinal.

Sophomore Justyna Switala, who had a stellar showing at last weekend's St. Mary's Health System Classic in Knoxville, Tenn., dropped a 6-2, 6-0 first-round decision to second-seeded Amber Tantee of Florida State. Switala dropped to the first-round consolation match where she will face Arkansas State's Julia Searle.

"We played good tennis today," Lane said. "I thought we played with a lot of heart in some tough, long matches. There were a lot of positives out there today. We have some very tough matches Saturday, so we have to get rested up."

Mississippi State's lone doubles team competing this weekend dropped its first round match before fighting back to claim a win in consolation play. The tandem of Fagan and Soubis fell 8-5 to Washington State's Lorena Arias and Chris Martinez in the opener of the B Draw.

The duo secured a spot in Saturday's fifth-place match with a tough 9-7 win over Alabama's Sophie Cremers and Selia Mathew in the afternoon. The fourth-seeded tandem will face Auburn's second-seeded Carolina Ramirez and Petra Bercik in Saturday's final day of doubles action.

The Lady Bulldog netters play second-round singles action Saturday morning before closing out the tournament with Sunday's championship and consolation matches.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

09/29/01
VOLLEYBALL
STARKVILLE, Miss. --- Yajaira Cadet had a match-high 12 kills Friday night as the 18th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks (8-1, 2-1 SEC) downed Mississippi State (5-5, 1-2 SEC) 3-0, spoiling the Bulldogs' SEC home opener.

The Bulldogs step away from conference play and wrap up weekend play Saturday, playing host to Jacksonville (Ala.) State University (4-7) in a 4 p.m. match at the Newell-Grissom Building. JSU dropped a 3-1 decision Friday night at Mississippi.

USC took command of the match early, hitting at a .500 clip en route to a 30-20 win in the opening game. State led through most of the second stanza, with USC pulling away from a 28-28 deadlock for a 31-29 win and a 2-0 lead at intermission. Carolina had just one hitting error and cruised to a 30-19 win in the match-clinching third game.

"South Carolina has a very talented team with a lot of offensive weapons," said Bulldog head coach Brenda Bowlin. "Still, we had plenty of opportunities to score some points. Most of those scoring opportunities got wiped out by errors tonight. We can't afford to make that many errors against the No. 18 team."

USC out-hit MSU .314 to .040.

State had 21 hitting errors, six by Misty Hubenthal, who paced the Bulldogs with eight kills. Lauren Bounds had seven kills and seven digs, while Dawn Steinhauser paced MSU defensively with nine digs and two blocks.

"We played pretty well in spots offensively and in spots defensively," continued Bowlin. "We've just got to find a way to put a complete game together."

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

09/29/01
WOMEN'S GOLF
SANDESTIN, Fla. - The women's golf team of Mississippi State University is in 5th place after the first round of action at the Dodge ACC/SEC Shootout in Sandestin, Fla., posting an opening round score of 303. Playing at the par-71 Raven Golf Course, coach Christi Sanders' squad is nine back of Florida, the leader in the team competition.

Senior Anna Gertsson leads the Lady Bulldogs and closed the day in a four-way tie for firth place after shooting an opening-round 73. She is five shots behind the individual leader, Alabama's Darby Sligh.

Both junior Anna Knutsson and freshman Natalie Booth, who is playing in her first tournament as a Bulldog, shot 76, putting them in a tie for 14th place. Freshman Beth Irwin is tied for 21st place after posting an opening-round score of 78, while fellow freshman Janet Dyer carded a 83 on the day, placing her in a tie for 43rd place.

Second round action continues Saturday morning in Sandestin.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

09/27/01
SOCCER
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Mississippi State (5-3) took a 1-0 lead into halftime, then scored a pair of insurance goals in the second half, to take a 3-0 victory over Chattanooga (1-4-1) Tuesday evening at Finley Stadium and close out its four-game roadtrip with a 3-1 record.

Sophomore Jessica Kauffman and freshman Jessi Moore both collected a goal and an assist in the victory. Goalkeeper Krystal Werges tallied five saves in 70 minutes of work and combined with junior Stephanie Lyon in recording State's second Clean Sheet of the campaign.

The win marked the 50th in the history of the Mississippi State program and also moved the Bulldogs two games above the .500 mark heading into this weekend's homestand against Duquesne and UTEP.

"I am very pleased with the result tonight," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "Being our fourth game in seven days, and being on the road, I felt our team responded very well. We had the chance to play every player on our squad, which can only help prepare us for our next match."

Kauffman got MSU off the mark just more than 20 minutes (20:12) into the game when she used a throw-in by Amber Meesey and a through ball by Moore to set herself up within point blank range in front of the Chattanooga nets. The Bulldogs took the 1-0 lead, as well as a 10-5 first half shot advantage into the break.

Moore extended the State lead 17 minutes into the second half (62:21) as Kauffman returned the favor with a through ball into traffic in which Moore finished with a blinding shot that gave the 'Dogs a 2-0 lead. Moore connected with Van Zandt at the 69:36 mark to provide the Maroons with an insurance goal.

Mississippi State will again be in action this weekend when the Bulldogs return home to host a pair of non conference games at the Mississippi State Soccer Field. State will host Duquesne on Friday at 4 p.m. and will entertain UTEP on Sunday at 1 p.m. Admission to all 2001 Mississippi State home soccer games is free of charge.

SCORING SUMMARY, At Chattanooga, Tenn. (Finley Stadium)

Mississippi State 1 2 - 3
Chattanooga 0 0 - 0

20:12 MSU Jessica Kauffman (Moore, Meesey)
62:21 MSU Jessi Moore (Kauffman)
69:36 MSU Amy Van Zandt (Moore)

Shots: MSU 18 (Van Zandt 4), UTC 10 (Haugen 3). Corner Kicks: MSU 6, UTC 6. Goalkeeper Saves: MSU 6 (Werges 5), UTC 7 (Woytowicz 4). Fouls: MSU 6, UTC 12. Cautions: None. Offsides: MSU 0, UTC 2. Att. - 78.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

09/25/01
MEN'S TENNIS
ATHENS, Ga. -- With a three-set victory in the finals, Mississippi State's Romain Ambert claimed the Division I singles championship at the 2001 Southern Collegiate Tennis Championships Monday afternoon. The event was held at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Ambert, ranked 17th nationally and the tournament's No. 2 seed, posted a 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-1 victory over Tulane's 15th-ranked and top-seeded Michael Kogan in the title match. The win marked the second tournament victory of Ambert's still-youthful MSU career, the other coming in the first tournament of his career last fall.

The State sophomore had beaten Vanderbilt's Bobby Reynolds, a 13-16 alphabetical seed, 6-1, 6-3 earlier in the day Monday to reach the afternoon final. On the weekend, Ambert dropped only two sets in his six-match run to the singles crown.

"Needless to say, Romain played a great tournament," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "We are very proud of his effort here and are excited that he still has lots of time left at MSU."

Ambert, who was named Region III Player To Watch by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association last year as a freshman, is now 33-11 overall in singles as a Bulldog.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

09/24/01
MEN'S TENNIS
ATHENS, Ga. -- With a comeback victory Sunday, Mississippi State's Romain Ambert moved into the Division I singles semifinals at the 2001 Southern Collegiate Tennis Championships. The event is being held at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Ambert, ranked 17th nationally and the tournament's No. 2 seed, overcame a set deficit in Sunday's quarterfinals to defeat Florida's Eleazar Magallan 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. The State sophomore will now meet Vanderbilt's Bobby Reynolds, a 13-16 alphabetical seed, in Monday's semifinals at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Ambert and Reynolds have met once before. In the schools' regular season team match last spring in Starkville, Ambert won a three-set contest at the No. 2 position. Should he get past Reynolds Monday, Ambert would meet the winner between Tulane's top-seeded Michael Kogan and Georgia's fourth-seeded Brandon Wagner in the title match Monday afternoon.

In consolation play Sunday, MSU's three remaining players were eliminated. Bulldog David Ruiz opened the day with a win in Division I consolation when his opponent, Kentucky's Johan Grunditz, retired with Ruiz leading 5-4 in the second set (after dropping the first). In the quarterfinals, Ruiz fell 2-6, 7-6, 7-5 to Auburn's Mark Kovacs.

In the round of 16 of the Division III back draw, State's Matt Armstrong dropped a 6-2, 6-1 decision to Central Florida's Simon Jager. And in the quarterfinals of the Division IV consolation field, Bulldog Michael Hailey was a 6-3, 6-4 victim of UNC Charlotte's Johnathan McGovern.

In doubles action, State's one remaining team of Ambert and Max Fomine fell 8-5 to the South Carolina team of Angelo Nichelescu and Marcus Westman in the Division I main draw quarterfinals.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

"It was good to get a win in our first SEC competition, but we had too many breakdowns on offense to make it a clean sweep this weekend," said coach Brenda Bowlin. "Alabama came out a little flat in the opening game. But they have a very disciplined team and went on some crucial scoring runs that we had difficulty stopping. We've got to work harder to get our offense moving for us."

State built up a 10-point lead at 13-3 in the opening game and went on to register a 30-22 win. The Tide, held to -.054 hitting in the opening frame, hit its stride in game two, hitting at a crisp .400 clip and evening the match with a solid 30-14 win.

Jennifer Bibber delivered seven of her 14 kills in the third game as Alabama outscored State 9-2 down the stretch for a 30-23 win.

The Bulldogs battled back in the fourth game, with Misty Hubenthal delivering a kill that gave MSU a 13-11 lead. Alabama then reeled off eight consecutive points to take a 19-13 lead and cruised home to a match-clinching 30-24 win.

Hubenthal paced State with 10 kills while Katy Barnett and Tanika Taylor shared team defensive honors with 10 digs each. Taylor and Jennifer Rousey paced State at the net with four block assists each.

Errin Heffner totaled 15 kills, seven in the final game, to lead Alabama. Bibber added 14 kills and Shelly Adamcik 11 while Keena Milner's match-high 17 digs helped Alabama claim a 59-46 edge on defense.

The Bulldogs return to action at the Newell-Grissom Building Starkville this weekend, playing host to SEC East power South Carolina Friday (Sept. 28) at 7 p.m. and non-conference foe Jacksonville (Ala.) State Saturday (Sept. 29) at 4 p.m.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

Switala, playing in her first career tournament for head coach Tracy Lane's Lady Bulldog netters, claimed a straight-set win over host Tennessee's Erin Cohn to take third place in Flight Eight. Switala and Cohn battled hard in the first set, but the Lady Bulldog from Opole, Poland held on to take the opening set 7-6. Switala cruised through the second set to claim a 7-6, 6-3 win in her MSU debut.

Soubis had no trouble dispatching of Furman's Caroline Bentley in a contest to determine Flight Two's seventh-place finisher. Soubis won the match in convincing 6-2, 6-2 fashion to pick up her first victory of the fall campaign.

The other two Lady Bulldogs in action Sunday at the Varsity Courts did not fair as well. Junior Elaine Fagan finished eighth in the Flight Six bracket after falling Sunday afternoon to Kentucky's Jill Buckley in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. Sophomore Yumi Ueda had to withdraw from her seventh-place match with Furman's Krista Thompson due to an injury.

The Mississippi State women's tennis squad returns to action next weekend, making the trek to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the Roberta Alison Tennis Tournament hosted by the University of Alabama. The tournament gets underway Friday and runs through Sunday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

Although trailing 5-1 in shots at the close of the first period, Mississippi State found ways to create scoring opportunities for itself the rest of the way out and finished the contest with a 12-10 shot advantage. The Bulldogs also finished with an advantage in corner kicks (5-4) and were outfouled by the Jaguars as well (27-17).

"We knew this game was going to be a battle," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "South Alabama played with great vigor and enthusiasm which made life difficult for our team. Once again, we had opportunities to win, yet we did not execute at appropriate times."

Mississippi State used a corner kick just more than 58 minutes into the game to break a scoreless deadlock and take a 1-0 lead. Brie Wallace showcased a perfect serve into the box while Meesey finished with a header to the far post, just outside the reach of Jaguar keeper Kyla Rogers. South Alabama knotted the score back up in the 63rd minute (62:46) on Rainville's first goal of the game that skirted underneath MSU goalkeeper Krystal Werges.

State blanked the Jaguars with a 4-0 shot advantage in the first sudden death overtime period, but Rainville took advantage of USA's lone shot in overtime, chipping a shot over the head of Werges in the 107th minute (106:26) to give South Alabama its second-straight win over an SEC opponent.

Mississippi State will again be in action on Tuesday evening when the Bulldogs travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., for a contest with the Chattanooga Lady Mocs. Game time is set for 7 p.m. under the lights of Finley Stadium. The Bulldogs will return home this weekend, taking on Duquesne on Friday at 4 p.m. and UTEP on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

09/23/01
WOMEN'S TENNIS
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Fresh off her first career win at Mississippi State, sophomore Justyna Switala fell in Saturday's semifinals at the St. Mary's Health System Women's Tennis Classic in Knoxville, Tenn.

Switala took Kentucky's Danielle Petrisko to the full three sets before Petrisko was able to pull out a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory. Switala, the Opole, Poland, native, will play host Tennessee's Erin Cohn in a Sunday tilt for third place in Flight Eight.

Two of the other three singles matches involving head coach Tracy Lane's netters went the distance, but none were able to pull out victories at the Varsity Courts.

Senior Carole Soubis fell for the second straight day. The Moulins, France, native won the first set in her consolation match with Georgia Tech's Jaime Wong, but Wong won the next two to claim a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 decision. Soubis will face Furman's Caroline Bentley in a Sunday afternoon battle for seventh place of Flight Two.

Yumi Ueda, playing in Flight Five, will likewise play for seventh place in her respective bracket after dropping a three-set affair to Minnesota's Kelly Perry. Ueda won the first set with a dominating performance in the tiebreak. Perry, however, stepped up her play to take the final two sets and win the match 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-2. Ueda will play Furman's Krista Thompson in the seventh-place consolation match of her bracket.

MSU newcomer Elaine Fagan will also compete for seventh place Sunday after falling to Minnesota's Andrea Rose in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1. Fagan will play Kentucky's Jill Buckley, who fell to Purdue's Shawna Zuccarini 7-6 (5), 6-4.

Both of the Lady Bulldogs' doubles teams claimed fourth place in their respective flights. The MSU duo of Fagan and Soubis dropped a tough 8-5 decision to the Lady Volunteer tandem of Brooke Cordell and Kim Gates in Flight Two play. The State team dropped into the third-place match after falling 8-4 to North Carolina's Marlene Mejia and Aniela Mojzis in semifinal action late Friday night.

MSU's team of Ueda and Switala fell into fourth place after losing 8-3 to Georgia Tech's Catherine Gunn and Laura Ozolins Saturday afternoon in Flight Three.

State concludes its 2001 opener Sunday. Championship matches are slated to begin at 9 a.m. EST. The Lady Bulldogs netters begin consolation play immediately following completion of the singles championships.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

Ambert, ranked 17th nationally and the tournament's No. 2 seed, opened play Saturday with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Troy State's Daniel Quiceno. The sophomore Bulldog followed with a 6-2, 7-5 triumph against Virginia Tech's Andres Lavlund. The Toulouse, France, product will take on Florida's Eleazar Magallan in Sunday's quarterfinals at 10 a.m. ET.

MSU also has three players still alive in consolation action in this weekend's tournament. Bulldog David Ruiz was a 3-6, 6-4, 10-7 winner over Vanderbilt's Chad Harris Saturday, the third set determined in a super tiebreaker. With the win, Ruiz moves into the round of 16 of Division I consolation on Sunday where he meets Kentucky's Johan Grunditz.

State's Matt Armstrong will play in the round of 16 of Division III consolation Sunday after winning by default Saturday. Michael Hailey is into the quarterfinals of the Division IV backdraw after registering the first win of his Bulldog career Saturday. He notched a 7-5, 6-1 triumph against Armstrong Atlantic State's Peter Morsley and awaits an opponent to be determined Sunday morning.

In other main draw singles action Saturday, Bulldog Jerome Le Belicard dropped a 6-1, 6-1 decision to Vanderbilt's Bobby Reynolds in Division I, while State's Max Fomine was a 6-4, 6-4 victim of Florida State's Rodrigo Laub in Division II. Both matches were in the second round.

In doubles action on the day, MSU had two teams eliminated from competition and one got a late start.

In Division I play, Luiz Carvalho and Le Belicard fell 8-2 to Kentucky's duo of Johan Grunditz and Jesse Witten, while the Bulldog pair of Armstrong and Ruiz fell 8-7 to Troy State's duo of Mark Prior and Quiceno in Division II competition. MSU's tandem of Ambert and Max Fomine were scheduled to meet Middle Tennessee's Daniel Klemetz and Trevor Short in Division I Saturday night. All of those contests were in the round of 16.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

09/22/01
WOMEN'S TENNIS
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Mississippi State sophomore Justyna Switala posted her first career singles victory as a Lady Bulldog to highlight the opening round of play for head coach Tracy Lane's Lady Bulldog tennis team at the St. Mary's Health System Women's Tennis Classic in Knoxville, Tenn., Friday.

In her MSU debut, the Opole, Poland, native defeated Purdue's Catie McLevish in straight sets (6-2, 6-4) to advance to Saturday's Flight Eight second round against Danielle Petrisko of Kentucky who defeated North Carolina's Catherine Craven.

State's other three competitors in singles play did not fair as well. Yumi Ueda dropped into the consolation bracket of Flight Five after falling to UNC's Kendrick Bunn by a 6-3, 6-0 deficit. Ueda, the sophomore from Hyogo, Japan, will face Minnesota's Kelly Perry Saturday morning.

The afternoon session saw two other Lady Bulldog netters fall in the opening round of play. Kentucky's Amy Trefethen defeated senior Carole Soubis 6-2, 6-1 in Flight Two play Friday afternoon. Soubis will face Georgia Tech's Jamie Wong in consolation play Saturday at 10 a.m.

Junior newcomer Elaine Fagan dropped a tough three-set decision to Furman's McCall Holman in Friday's Flight Six singles play. The 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 loss drops Fagan into consolation play against Andrea Rose of Minnesota.

In Friday afternoon's doubles play, Switala continued her winning ways, as she teamed with Ueda to claim a tiebreak win over the North Carolina State tandem of Jennifer Jassawalla and Kristin Nicholls 9-8(5). The State duo dropped into the third-place match of Flight Three as North Carolina's team of Kendall Cline and Lee Barios downed the MSU team 8-1.

In Flight two doubles play, Soubis and Fagan teamed up to knock off Minnesota's Amy Thomas and Brandy Watts in convincing 8-5 fashion. The duo's second-round match results were not available until late Friday night.

Lane's Lady Bulldogs continue season-opening play at the University of Tennessee-hosted tournament Saturday. Ueda and Fagan begin consolation play at 9 a.m. EST, while Switala takes to the court at 11:30 a.m. for her semifinal match.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

In Division I competition, State's Romain Ambert and Jerome Le Belicard both moved into Saturday's second round.

Ambert, ranked 17th nationally and the tournament's No. 2 seed, actually cruised in his opening match, posting a 6-1, 6-3 win over Tennessee-Chattanooga's Jason Ontog. The MSU sophomore will meet Troy State's Daniel Quiceno Saturday.

Le Belicard advanced with a tight 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 decision over North Carolina Charlotte's Ola Johnson. He will meet Vanderbilt's Bobby Reynolds in Saturday's second round.

In other Division I play, Bulldogs David Ruiz and Luiz Carvalho each dropped their first round contests. Ruiz fell victim to Nicolas Boeker of host Georgia 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, while Carvalho succumbed in a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 match with Kentucky's Jesse Witten, a 9-12 seed who is ranked 92nd nationally.

The Division II draw saw Bulldog Max Fomine advance into its second round, also in a hard-fought affair. Fomine, a 9-16 seed in his field, downed Armstrong Atlantic's Achim Roth 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 and will face Florida State's Rodrigo Laub in the second round.

In Division III action Friday, State's Matt Armstrong dropped his first-round match to Florida's Ryan Sherry 6-4, 6-0. In Division IV, MSU's Michael Hailey received a first-round bye and will play Florida A&M's Lewin Mongerie Saturday in the round of 16.

Doubles competition also got underway Friday evening and all State pairs had first-round byes. In second-round play of Division I, Carvalho and Le Belicard teamed for an 8-6 win over Kamau Murray and Isaac Yarrell of Florida A&M. State's other teams of Ambert/Fomine (DI) and Armstrong/Ruiz (DII) were in action late Friday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

"What a way to open the SEC season," exclaimed coach Brenda Bowlin. "This was by far the most balanced game we've played this year, especially on offense. Misty had another solid performance, but everybody contributed. It's a big boost to the team knowing we can count on a lot of players."

State used a 6-0 run to pull away from Auburn and take a 30-23 win in the opening game. Hubenthal and Jennifer Rousey registered five kills apiece in the opening frame. The Bulldogs took a 2-0 match lead into intermission with a 30-27 win in game two. MSU led throughout the second game but had to fend of a determined Auburn challenge that trimmed an eight-point Bulldog lead to two in the final stages of the game. Hubenthal recorded seven of her match-leading 15 kills and nine of her match-high 15 digs during the second game.

State committed just two hitting errors and hit at a .500 clip in racing to a match-clinching 30-18 win in the final game.

Freshman Ashley Sledge and sophomore Jennifer Rousey had nine kills each, Hilary Chambers added eight kills and Tanika Taylor six with no hitting errors to round out the balanced MSU offense.

Dawn Steinhauser reached double-digits with 10 digs and registered her first career block solo during a four-block outing.

State hit at a season-best .276 clip. Auburn hit .132 and got 11 kills from Grace Boyd.

The Bulldogs continue their SEC season-opening weekend trip to Alabama Sunday, testing the defending Western Division champion Crimson Tide at 2 p.m. in Tuscaloosa.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

The meet featured seven of the nation's top 25 cross country teams, including last year's SEC champion Arkansas, who finished fourth, and last year's national runner-up Brigham Young University, who placed second in the team competition.

The Bulldogs were led by junior Christine Zawaski (18:32.6), who placed 60th in the field of top runners from across the country. Freshman Meggan Hodge came in with a time of 18:54.0, earning 82nd place on the evening.

Ronni Watjus (19:22.4), a junior on Coach Al Schmidt's team, finished in 107th place. She was followed by her three freshman teammates Trina Hobyan (19:37.8), Jackie Rentschler (20:38.2) and Cassie Hanan (20:48.6), who placed 123rd, 203rd and 209th, respectively. Junior Martha Hudsonpillar came in 258th place.

The Great American Classic was won by BYU senior Tara Northcutt, who ran the Winthrop Farm 5K course in 16:56.3. Winning the team competition Friday was North Carolina State University.

"This is a good race for us to run," Coach Schmidt said. "We need to be in big races like this for the experience. We are confident that we will beat some of these teams later in the year. We were right there with them tonight."

The Bulldogs have next weekend off before traveling to South Bend, Ind. to run in the Notre Dame Invitational on the Notre Dame Burke Golf Course on Friday, Oct. 5.

GREAT AMERICAN CLASSIC
Sept. 21, 2001 -- Rock Hill, S.C.

TEAM RESULTS
1. North Carolina State 41
2. Brigham Young 59
3. North Carolina 83
4. Arkansas 95
5. Duke 130
6. Wake Forest 211
7. Liberty 258
8. Coastal Carolina 282
9. Georgia 315
10. Virginia Tech 333
11. Samford 385
12. Appalachian State 402
13. South Carolina 414
14. UNC-Asheville 420
15. MISSISSIPPI STATE 436
16. Furman 499
17. Davidson College 504
18. UNC Greensboro 541
19. Campbell 551
20. Charleston Southern 563
21. Winthrop 603
22. High Point 648
23. East Tennessee State 658
24. UNC Charlotte 677
24. Radford University 677
26. Carson-Newman 703
27. Elon 721
28. College of Charleston 792
29. Erskine College 922
30. South Carolina State 949
31. Columbia College 1036

MSU INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
60. Christine Zawaski 18:32.6
82. Meggan Hodge 18:54.0
107. Ronni Watjus 19:22.4
123. Trina Hobyan 19:37.8
203. Jackie Rentschler 20:38.2
209. Cassie Hanan 20:48.6
258. Martha Hudsonpillar 22:25.2

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

Freshman Jessi Moore cashed in on three assists and joined five other Bulldogs in scoring a goal. Goalkeeper Krystal Werges collected two saves in recording the fourth victory of her collegiate career.

"Tonight was another very good team performance," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "Once again, our overall team defense allowed us many offensive opportunities through relentless pressure."

Amber Rose got the Bulldogs off the mark quickly, redirecting a free kick from Sam Schwenke into the nets just 1:17 into the game, marking the quickest goal from start in the history of the program. Moore gave MSU a 2-0 lead just less than five and a half minutes later with a rifle shot, then assisted on an Amy Van Zandt goal in the 24th minute (23:51) that gave State a 3-0 lead.

Jacksonville State midfielder and football placekicker Ashley Martin got her team on the board with a goal in the 32nd minute (31:33), but the Gamecocks took a two-goal deficit into the break.

April Berry stretched the Maroon lead back out to three goals nearly 20 minutes into the second half (64:25) when her cannon left-footed rip found the post, but careened into the JSU goal. Jessica Kauffman recorded MSU's fourth goal of the game in the 72nd minute (71:44), but Martin tallied her second goal of the game just four minutes later (75:16) to keep the State lead at two goals.

Freshman Kristin Peterson capped the game scoring in the 88th tick (87:49) to provide the final.

"It is imperative that we continue to build on lessons we've learned and the mistakes that we have made," McGuire said. "Today was a good day."

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

09/20/01
SOCCER
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State (3-2), in the midst of their longest road trip of the season, will continue their four-game swing this weekend as the 'Dogs travel to Jacksonville State (2-3) and South Alabama (2-3-1) for key non conference battles. After a nine-day hiatus, Mississippi State returned to action on Tuesday evening in Samford and came away with a 4-0 victory, its first shutout since October 25 of last season. The Bulldogs showcased second half dominance in the win, erupting for three goals while outshooting Samford 12-2 in the final period.

"After a week-long layoff, it took our team a while to find their rhythm, but once we did we played very well," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "Our ball movement was good, and our communication was excellent. We showed a great deal of maturity to deal with some adversity during the match, and this certainly excites me for what lies ahead."

The Bulldogs will face Jacksonville State for the fifth time in a series that is currently knotted up at two games apiece. The teams have split a pair of meetings in Starkville, as well as two meetings in the State of Alabama, including State's 1-0 victory in last season's 'Bama Classic in Tuscaloosa.

The Gamecocks will likely ride the shoulders of junior forward Angela Tribble who has scored three times this season for JSU. The Gamecocks' top returning scorer this season hit the game winner in a 3-2 victory over Belmont on Tuesday night. The Gamecocks have also got single goals this season from juniors Jane Little and Ashley Martin.

State will face South Alabama for the first time in Mobile in a series that has seen the teams split a pair of games. Mississippi State took a 6-1 victory from the visiting Jaguars in 1996 and dropped a 3-0 decision last season in Starkville.

The Jaguars will feature a pair of two-goal scorers in sophomores Julia Herman and Melissa Moeschl, but will likely get a surge from senior Cindy Rainville who has gotten off 11 more shots than any of her teammates and is the Jaguars top returner. Herman and Moeschl both scored in a 2-1 victory over LSU on Wednesday night at home.

"Both teams we play this weekend are formidable opponents," McGuire said. "Having played them last year, we know that they are talented and have the ability to cause us a lot of trouble. This will certainly be another good test for us."

Following this weekend's action, Mississippi State will conclude their four-game trip on Tuesday when the team travels to Chattanooga, Tenn., for an evening tilt with the Lady Mocs. Start time for that game is set for 7 p.m. EST at Finley Stadium.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

Four State netters will be competing in the Division I draw, as Romain Ambert, Luiz Carvalho, Jerome Le Belicard and David Ruiz will be in action. In Division II action will be Bulldog Max Fomine. Division III will see MSU's Matt Armstrong in competition. And in Division IV, State's Michael Hailey will see action.

In doubles, MSU has placed two teams in the Division I field. Ambert will team with Fomine in that draw, as will Carvalho and Le Belicard. In Division II, State's tandem of Armstrong and Ruiz will be in competition.

All singles and doubles draws begin Friday, with the championship of each slated for Monday. Following this weekend's action, MSUšs men's net team will be back in action in October at the All-American Hardcourt Championships in Stone Mountain, Ga.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Sports Media Relations Department

09/19/01 (9:30 p.m.)
SOCCER
BIRMINGHAM, ALa. - Mississippi State (3-2) rallied for three second half goals and used its defensive troops to stifle Samford (2-3) the whole way out as State blanked the hosts 4-0 Tuesday evening at Bulldog Field in Birmingham.

Redshirt freshman Crystal Christensen scored twice for State, while sophomore Amber Rose added a goal and an assist to key the victory for Mississippi State. Krystal Werges recorded two saves while allowing no goals as she, along with her defensive counterparts, recorded MSU's first Clean Sheet since blanking Mississippi on October 25 of last season.

"The team showed great spirit throughout the entire game tonight," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "After the week-long layoff, we found our rhythm and moved the ball around very well. Each player came ready to play, and were eager to have a positive impact on the game."

After very physical play stymied both teams for much of the first half, Christensen got State off the mark in the 41st (40:10) minute when she sliced her way through a pair of Samford defenders and one-timed a cannon shot past Samford goalkeeper Carrie Ollom. The Bulldogs took the 1-0 lead into the halftime break.

Just six minutes into the second period, Amber Rose took a pair of assists and finished with a header from point-blank range to extend the MSU lead to 2-0 in the 52nd minute (51:11). Just more than two minutes later, Samford midfielder Lisa Stucki was ejected from the game due to violent conduct, forcing the hosts to play a player down.

With the game already in hand, Mississippi State got insurance goals from Christensen in the 84th minute (83:10) and freshman Jessi Moore in the 86th minute (85:07) to provide the final.

"Defensively, we played as well tonight as we have all season. From the forward line, through our midfield, to our back line we allowed Samford little room to play," McGuire said. "Morgan McDonald, Jessica Wells, Mary Fisher Patterson and Kristen Benefield worked tirelessly throughout the game to protect our lead, and their dominating presence allowed our offense to do what they do best."

Mississippi State will return to action on Friday when the Bulldogs travel to Jacksonville, Ala., to take on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks of the Trans America Athletic Conference. Game time is set for 7 p.m. under the lights of University Field. The Bulldogs will continue their four-game road trip on Sunday against South Alabama.

SCORING SUMMARY, At Birmingham, Ala. (Bulldog Field)

Mississippi State 1 3 - 4
Samford 0 0 - 0
40:10 MSU Crystal Christensen (Suh)
51:11 MSU Amber Rose (Kauffman, Smith)
83:10 MSU Crystal Christensen (Rose)
85:07 MSU Jessi Moore (Van Zandt)

Shots: MSU 20 (Moore 4), SAM 8 (Shanks 3). Corner Kicks: MSU 6, SAM 3. Goalkeeper Saves: MSU 2 (Werges), SAM 9 (Ollom). Fouls: MSU 6, SAM 17. Offsides: MSU 2, SAM 6. Team Saves: MSU 2, SAM 3. Cautions: SAM Christoffer (31:34; U.C.), Kearns (63:16; U.C.). Ejections: SAM Stucki (53:36; V.C.). Att. - 278.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Junior Anna Knutsson paced MSU, finishing with an eight-over-par score of 224 and placing in a tie for 14th place. She posted rounds of 76, 73 and 75 at the par-72 Legends Club course.

Senior Anna Gertsson placed 31st with a 229 score, while freshman Janet Dyer shot a 237 and finished 53rd. Beth Irwin, a freshman, carded a 244 and placed 68th. Rounding out the MSU lineup, sophomore Catalina Olarte posted a 257 and placed 77th.

Ohio State took home the team title with a score of 861, while Furman's Jennifer Perri won the individual crown with a six-under-par score of 210.

With Mississippi State's men's team also competing in the 54-hole tournament, the Mason Rudolph Championship was the only Division I tournament in the nation that was concurrently hosting men's and women's events at the same site.

Mississippi State will hit the links again on September 28, competing in the Dodge ACC/SEC Challenge in Sandestin Resort, Fla.

MASON RUDOLPH CHAMPIONSHIPS, Legends Club of Tennessee, Par: 72 6,223 Yards

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Ohio State 291-292-278=861
2. Vanderbilt 295-284-298=877
3. Furman 296-288-303=887
4. Alabama 298-298-303=899
5. North Carolina 304-292-306=902
6. Wake Forest 304-298-307=909
7. Louisiana State 313-301-303=917
8. Tulane 306-302-310=918
9. Florida 304-307-308=919
10. Florida State 295-315-311=921
11. Mississippi 311-305-313=929
12. Mississippi State 318-302-312=932
13. North Carolina State 315-310-314=939
14. UNLV 327-310-327=964

MSU RESULTS
t14. Anna Knutsson 76-73-75=224 +8
t31. Anna Gertsson 74-75-80=229 +13
t53. Janet Dyer 82-77-78=237 +21
t68. Beth Irwin 86-79-79=244 +28
t77. Catalina Olarte 91-77-89=257 +41

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Mudd won an event for the second time in his career, the other coming at the Rice Intercollegiate last spring. His ten-under-par showing is a personal best and his score (200) is second in the MSU record books behind Alex Rocha's 198 score at the 2000 Gator Invitational.

Newcomer Kellen Maurer fired three-consecutive rounds of 70 to finish in a tie for eighth place. Joe Deraney shot a final-round 72 to bring his total to 225, landing him in 51st place. T.J. Washburn and Christian Sohus both finished in 59th place.

Alabama finished one shot ahead of Virginia to take the team title at the par-70 Roper's Knob Course at the Legends Club. Mississippi, North Carolina State and North Carolina round out the top-five. Tournament-host Vanderbilt finished in seventh place.

The Bulldogs will return to action on October 8-9 at the Purina Classic in Columbia, Mo.

Mason Rudolph Championships
1. Alabama 281-273-285 = 839
2. Virginia 276-280-284 = 840
3. Mississippi 283-284-276 = 843
4. North Carolina St. 277-276-292 = 845
5. North Carolina 284-283-284 = 851
Georgia State 277-278-296 = 851
7. Vanderbilt (host) 286-280-286 = 852
8. Mississippi State 285-286-287 = 858
9. Kentucky 291-291-285 = 867
10. Rice 289-291-291 = 871
11. Florida State 289-292-298 = 879
12. Central Florida 295-302-297 = 894

MSU Individual Results
1. Codie Mudd (medalist) 64-67-69 = 200 (-10)
t8. Kellen Maurer 70-70-70 = 210 (E)
t51. Joe Deraney 75-78-72 = 225 (+15)
t59. Christian Sohus 76-76-78 = 230 (+20)
t59. T.J. Washburn 81-73-76 = 230 (+20)

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

"As the scores indicate, this was an up and down match for us," said Bulldog volleyball coach Brenda Bowlin. "We did a lot of things really well and a lot of things not so well. But the match boiled down to a gut check in the fifth game. It's tough to overcome a deficit in the fifth game like we did. But we found a way to win."

Senior Dawn Steinhauser's game and match-ending service ace capped the Mississippi State comeback, as MSU scored eight of the fifth game's final nine points.

Hubenthal total a season-high 20 kills and a career-best 21 digs to pace the Bulldogs. Tanika Taylor registered her first double-double of the year with a dozen kills and 17 digs, while freshman Ashley Sledge, in her most extensive action of the year, chipped in a season-high 12 kills. Katie Carraro had 14 digs and Michele Gordon 10 to round out MSU's twin-digit performances.

State hit at a sizzling .441 clip and committed just one hitting error in taking the opening game. But the Bulldogs struggled offensively much of the remainder of the match, while USM found its stride and took MSU to the limit in the two-hour, 18-minute marathon.

Kelly Tribble carded 19 kills on a .375 hitting night and added 11 digs. Bridget Files hit double figures with 14 kills and lead the Golden Eagles at the net with seven blocks. USM held an 88-80 edge in digs and 12-6 lead in total team blocks.

MSU's Newell-Grissom Building season debut also represented the first campus competition for a Mississippi State athletic team since last Tuesday's tragic terrorist attack. Prior to the start of the match the teams and fans observed a moment of silence in honor of the attack's victims.

The Bulldogs hit the road this weekend to open Southeastern Conference competition. State visits Auburn Friday at 7 p.m. and then tests defending SEC Western Division champion Alabama in a 2 p.m. Sunday match in Tuscaloosa. State's next home competition is a Friday night SEC battle with South Carolina Sept. 27.

MSU def. USM 3-2 (30-25, 19-30, 30-22, 20-30, 15-12)

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

09/18/01
Women's and Men's Golf
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Mississippi State women's golf team is in 12th place after two rounds at the Mason Rudolph Championships in Nashville, Tenn. The Lady Bulldogs played two rounds today at the par-72 Legends Club. Using the men's format for tournament play, State posted rounds of 318 and 302 respectively, to give them a total score of 620.

Senior Anna Gertsson and junior Anna Knutsson are leading MSU. Both golfers are tied for 21st with a score of 149. Gertsson posted rounds of 74 and 75, while Knutsson shot a 76 and a 73 in the opening rounds of action.

Freshmen Janet Dyer and Beth Irwin placed 60th and 73rd respectively. Dyer shot an 82 and a 77 to give her a score of 159. Irwin carded rounds of 86 and 79 for a 165. Sophomore Catalina Olarte rounds out the MSU lineup, posting rounds of 91 and 77 to give her a score of 168.

Host Vanderbilt leads the tournament with a score of 579, while Furmanšs Jennifer Perri leads the individual race with a four-under-par score of 140.

With Mississippi State's men's team also competing in the 54-hole tournament, the Mason Rudolph Championship is the only Division I tournament in the nation that is concurrently hosting men's and women's events at the same site.

On the men's side, junior Codie Mudd fired consecutive rounds of 64-67 (-9) to take a three-shot lead individually, leading Mississippi State to an eighth-place showing after two rounds at the Mason Rudolph Championships in Nashville, Tenn. Mudd's two-round total of 131 is a school record for total score after 36 holes.

The Bulldogs fired rounds of 285-286, for a 571 total, to sit five shots out of fifth place at the par-70 Legends Golf Club. North Carolina State (553) leads the tournament by one shot over Alabama (554). Georgia State (555) and Virginia (556) are close behind. Tournament-host Vanderbilt sits in fifth place, 13 shots back.

Mudd's opening-round 64 will place him in a tie for third place in the MSU record books for lowest score in any round. It is also the second-best first-round score ever shot at Mississippi State. The 64 is a personal best by two strokes and the two-round total eclipses his previous best by seven shots.

Kellen Maurer fired even rounds of 70-70 to sit in a tie for 13th place. Christian Sohus shot consecutive rounds of 76 to stand in 55th place. Joe Deraney fired rounds of 75-78, and T.J. Washburn followed up a first-round 81 with a 73 to sit in 59th place.

Tournament action concludes today with 18 holes left to play.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

09/14/01
VOLLEYBALL
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. --- The Volleyball Bulldogs' first-ever trip to Chicago for DePaul University's Blue Demon Invitational volleyball tournament has been cancelled in response to Tuesday's terrorist attack in New York and Washington.

The MSU team had reached Champaign, Ill., via bus late Thursday afternoon when word reached the travel party that all athletic events by Southeastern Conference schools this week had been canceled.

Mississippi State was scheduled to play Toledo, Illinois-Chicago and host DePaul in the two-day tournament Friday and Saturday.

The Bulldogs (3-3) are now set to return to action Tuesday, Sept. 18 at the Newell-Grissom Building, playing host to Southern Miss at 7 p.m.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Leading the way for State was sophomore Romain Ambert, who is ranked 17th in the preseason singles poll. Ambert had an outstanding season on the collegiate level as a true freshman last year. The Toulouse, France, native went 27-11 in singles in 2000-01 and was named ITA Region III's Player to Watch. Also a first-team, all-SEC selection, Ambert was ranked as high as sixth nationally last season, mainly due to an impressive fall semester. His ranking was limited last spring when he broke his ankle in late March and missed six weeks of competition. He returned in time to compete in the NCAA Team and Singles Championships.

Junior Rene'-Charles Combette is ranked 33rd nationally in Thursday's rankings. The Corsica, France, product owns a 45-30 singles record after his first two seasons at MSU. Ranked as high as 24th in the country last year, he captured the singles title of the Thunderbird Invitational and reached the quarterfinals of the National Clay Court Championships in the fall, before injuries were also a nemesis for him in the spring.

In doubles, Ambert and Combette were ranked 39th nationally as a team, their first national ranking as a duo. The tandem notched an 8-5 overall record together last year, including qualifying for the All-American Championships in the fall and two wins in NCAA Team Championship competition.

"We are pleased with our individual preseason rankings," first-year MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "Both Romain and Rene' had excellent years last year and both could have been better if not for injuries. We look forward to them leading our team this year."

MSU, which finished 14-11 overall last year, advanced to the NCAA "Sweet Sixteen" for the 10th time in 11 years and is one of only five schools (Georgia, LSU, MSU, Stanford, UCLA) to have done that.

State finished the 2000-01 season ranked 14th nationally as a team, marking the 13th-straight season the Bulldogs had finished in the top 25 nationally. MSU is one of only eight schools (Georgia, LSU, MSU, Pepperdine, Southern Cal, Stanford, Texas, UCLA) in the country to have accomplished that feat. The first team ranking of 2001-02 will be released in January prior to the start of team competition.

Including Ambert and Combette, State returns seven lettermen from last year's team, six of which saw considerable time in the MSU lineup in 2000-01.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

09/13/01
VOLLEYBALL
STARKVILLE, Miss. --- Mississippi State faces first-time opponents Toledo, Illinois-Chicago and DePaul in Chicago this weekend when the Bulldogs (3-3) close out their early-season tournament schedule with competition in DePaul's Blue Demon Invitational. The journey to the Windy City marks MSU's first volleyball competition in Chicago.

Due to travel concerns, the MSU team will travel to Chicago by bus.

State takes on Mid-American Conference team Toledo (4-1) in Friday's 5 p.m. tournament opener. The Bulldogs then test Illinois-Chicago (4-2) at noon and host DePaul (6-0) at 7 p.m. in Saturday battles.

The weekend tournament will be a homecoming of sorts for two Bulldog regulars. Senior setter Dawn Steinhauser, currently leading the SEC with a 3.38 digs per game average, hails from Port Byron, Ill. Sophomore middle blocker Jennifer Rousey, currently second on the team in both kills (54) and blocks (24), hails from Champaign.

"This will be another challenging tournament field for our team," said coach Brenda Bowlin. "We need to play well as a team and build some momentum before we start our SEC schedule next weekend."

State, currently near the top of the SEC in both opponent hitting percentage (.119) and digs (15.30 digs per game), is looking for improved offensive production. State trails the latest league stats in hitting percentage and kills. Junior outside hitter Misty Hubenthal has piled up a team-leading 64 kills and sophomore middle blocker Jennifer Rousey's .246 hitting mark is tops among MSU regulars.

MSU hosts instate non-conference rival Southern Miss next Tuesday (Sept. 18) at 7 p.m. before opening SEC play on the road Sept. 21-23 at Alabama and Auburn.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

09/12/01
MEN'S GOLF
STARKVILLE, Miss.-- Mississippi State posted a final-round score of 298 to finish in 14th place at the Cleveland Golf/Kiawah Island Intercollegiate in Charleston, S.C., Tuesday.

MSU fired rounds of 292 and 312 on the event's first day, bringing its three-round total to 902 (+38) in the first event of the fall season for the Bulldogs. Tournament-host College of Charleston took first-place honors by firing a 17-under par 847. Alabama finished in second place, seven shots back.

Codie Mudd shot a 71 in the final round to finish four shots under par (212). Mudd's efforts put him in a tie for eighth-place individually. His 212 strokes tied his career-best three-round score, which he fired at the Rice Intercollegiate, an event he won last season.

T.J. Washburn shot a 74 to finish in 62nd place individually (228). Kellen Maurer shot a 75 to finish 68th (233). Joe Deraney fired a 78 to finish 71st (237) while Christian Sohus struggled with an 84 to finish in a tie for 72nd.

State will travel to Nashville to team-up with the MSU women's golf squad for the Mason Rudolph Collegiate Golf Championships, Sept. 17-18. The event, hosted by Vanderbilt, will be held at the Legends Golf Club.

CLEVELAND GOLF/KIAWAH ISLAND INTERCOLLEGIATE, Charleston, S.C.

Final Team Results
1. College of Charleston 286 280 281 847 (-17)
2. Alabama 279 290 285 854 (-10)
3. Augusta State 288 281 287 856 (-8)
4. Brigham Young 286 283 288 857 (-7)
5. Maryland 294 282 284 860 (-4)
6. Tulsa 296 284 286 866 (+2)
7. Baylor 290 283 294 867 (+3)
8. LSU 286 295 289 870 (+6)
9. South Carolina-Aiken 290 300 284 874 (+10)
South Alabama 287 284 303 874 (+10)
11. Charleston Southern 301 291 292 884 (+20)
12. Central Florida 304 285 297 886 (+22)
13. Florida State 301 294 296 891 (+27)
14. Mississippi State 292 312 298 902 (+38)
15. Kent State 308 300 303 911 (+47)

Final MSU Individual Results
t8. Codie Mudd 69 72 71 212 (-4)
62. T.J. Washburn 72 82 74 228 (+12)
68. Kellen Maurer 77 81 75 233 (+17)
71. Joe Deraney 74 85 78 237 (+21)
t72. Christian Sohus 79 77 84 240 (+24)

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

09/10/01 (10:15 p.m.)
VOLLEYBALL
STARKVILLE, Miss. --- Mississippi State's Volleyball Bulldogs hit the home court at the Newell-Grissom Building for the first time this season Tuesday night when State (3-3) plays host to UAB (6-1) in a 7 p.m. match. Pre-match warmups begin at 6 p.m. and there is no charge for admission.

State posted a 2-1 mark and took runnerup honors last weekend in the MSU/Ramada Inn Classic held in Humphrey Coliseum. Sophomore middle blocker Hilary Chambers (28 kills, .345, 19 blocks) and junior outside hitter Misty Hubenthal (32 kills, 28 digs, eight blocks) helped pace the Bulldogs and earned berths on the all-tournament team.

For the season Hubenthal has a team-high 64 kills. Among other team statistical leaders heading into the third week of the season are Hilary Chambers (30 total blocks), Jennifer Rousey (54 kills, .246 hitting percentage and six solo blocks), Katie Carraro (61 digs and 14 service aces), and Dawn Steinhauser (125 assists, 54 digs and 11 service aces). Steinhauser registered 85 assists in the MSU/Ramada Inn Classic and climbed to sixth place among MSU's all-time assists leaders with 1,182.

UAB is riding a five-match win streak after posting a 3-0 record and winning last weekend's University of Miami Hurricane Invitational. The Blazer's lone loss was a 3-1 setback at Georgia in their second match of the year.

Following the UAB-MSU match Tuesday, the Bulldogs trek to Chicago, Ill., and meet first-time opponents Toledo, Illinois-Chicago and host DePaul in the Blue Demon Invitational.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

State sits nine shots out of 13th place following the first day of the two-day event at the par-72 Osprey Point Golf Course. Tournament-host College of Charleston leads the event by three strokes over Brigham Young, Alabama and Augusta State after carding a 566 total.

MSU veteran Codie Mudd leads the Bulldogs after firing a 141 total, including a 69 in the first round. He sits in a tie for ninth place in the individual standings heading into final-round play on Tuesday.

T.J. Washburn shot an even-par 72 in the first round, but struggled in the second by shooting an 82 to sit in a tie for 61st place.

Newcomers Christian Sohus, Kelley Maurer and Joe Deraney all saw their first collegiate action. Sohus fired a combined score of 156 to sit in a tie for 66th place. Maurer is in 71st place after shooting 158 and Deraney is one shot back after firing a 159.

State will complete play at the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate Tuesday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

09/10/01
Men's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss.-- The Mississippi State men's golf team opens the 2001 fall campaign by taking part in the Cleveland Golf/Kiawah Island Intercollegiate in Kiawah Island, S.C., Sept. 10-11.

Fifteen squads make up the field for this year's event, including fellow-SEC members Alabama and LSU. This is the third-straight year that MSU has participated in the tournament. The Bulldogs placed fifth (289-294-301) last year and sixth in 1999.

Two of the five Bulldogs participating in the tournament are veterans. Louisville, Ky., product Codie Mudd returns for his third season. The junior led the squad in scoring in six of the twelve tournaments he played in last year. Mudd finished in a tie for 13th at last year's event. T.J. Washburn returns for his second season. He played in every tournament last year as a freshman.

Joining those two in the starting five are a trio of newcomers. Kellen Maurer, Joe Deraney and Christian Sohus will make their MSU debut this week.

Head coach Greg Martin is back for his second season of duty. Martin returned to State last season, where he coached from 1994-98 before taking over the helm at Rice for two years. Martin led the Bulldogs to two Southeastern Conference Championships in his first stint as head coach.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

OVERALL RECORD: 3-3 (Home 2-1, Away 0-1, Neutral site 1-1)

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: 2-1
MSU def. Troy State 3-0 (30-21, 30-18, 30-22)
MSU lost to Louisiana-Lafayette 3-1 (24-30, 30-17, 24-30, 16-30)
MSU def. Murray State 3-2 (30-25, 24-30, 28-30, 30-21, 15-7)

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, Sept. 11 -- MSU vs. UAB (Starkville, Miss., 7 p.m.)
Friday, Sept. 14 -- MSU vs. Toledo (@ Chicago, Ill., 5 p.m.)
Saturday, Sept. 15 -- MSU vs. Illinois-Chicago (@ Chicago, Ill., Noon)
Saturday, Sept. 15 -- MSU at DePaul (@ Chicago, Ill., 7 p.m.)

MSU NOTES: Mississippi State closes out its early-season tournament schedule this weekend with three matches in DePaul University's Blue Demon Invitational. The weekend slate includes first-time opponents Toledo, Illinois-Chicago and host DePaul ... MSU opened its 14-match home schedule winning two of three matches in the MSU/Ramada Inn Classic. Sophomore Hilary Chambers (18 kills, 19 blocks) and junior Misty Hubenthal (32 kills, 28 digs) earned berths on the all-tournament team and coach Brenda Bowlin notched her 50th win as MSU head coach Sept. 7 with a 3-0 decision over Troy State ... Senior setter Dawn Steinhauser totaled 85 assists in three matches to climb to No. 5 on MSU's all-time career assists charts with 1,182.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

09/09/01
Track and Field
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Mississippi State freshman cross country runner Meggan Hodge claimed a course and meet record to help lead head coach Al Schmidt's Bulldogs to a season-opening victory at the UAH/Howard Bentley Invitational in Huntsville, Ala., Saturday.

Hodge, a freshman from Beaumont, Alberta, Canada, ran the 5K course at Sharon Johnston Park in 19:18, beating Clayton State's Joni Guffey by 10 seconds to win the first race of her collegiate career.

Junior Ronni Watjus posted a career-best third-place finish in 19:47, while freshmen Trina Hobyan (20:03) and Cassie Hanan (20:23) placed seventh and tenth, respectively.

Placing 17th in the race was senior Lee Ann Ripstra (20:37), with her freshman teammate Jackie Rentschler (20:46) finishing a place behind her in 18th. Freshman Tiffany McWilliams took 41st place for MSU in 21:50. Junior Martha Hudsonpillar (21:59) finished in 46th place, while freshman Mary Francis Wright (22:35) took 59th place with a 22:35 clocking.

"We feel really good about the win today," said head coach Al Schmidt. "We are very proud of Meggan (Hodge) for winning her first collegiate race. She ran one tough race today, battling with (Guffey) the entire race."

Saturday's win at the UAH/Howard Bentley Invitational is the Bulldogs' first team win since opening the 1995 season with a win at the LSU Invitational.

"We feel great about this win," said Schmidt. "It's a good way to start out the season. But next week, we jump into the frying pan."

The Bulldogs travel back to Alabama next weekend, this time running in the Crimson Classic at the Harry Pritchett Golf Course in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, September 15.

UAH/HOWARD BENTLEY INVITATIONAL, Sept. 8, 2001 -- Huntsville, Ala.

TEAM RESULTS
1. MISSISSIPPI STATE 38
2. Alabama-Huntsville 46
3. Carson-Newman 136
4. Birmingham Southern 140
5. Valdosta State 148
6. West Florida 170
7. Alabama-Birmingham 185
8. Delta State 219
9. Clayton State 251
10. North Alabama 283
11. Alabama State 310
12. West Alabama 322
13. Alabama A&M 325
14. Bevill State 374
15. Christian Brothers 458

MSU INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Meggan Hodge 19:18
3. Ronni Watjus 19:47
7. Trina Hobyan 20:03
10. Cassie Hanan 20:23
17. Lee Ann Ripstra 20:37
18. Jackie Rentschler 20:46
41. Tiffany McWilliams 21:50
46. Martha Hudsonpillar 21:59
59. Mary Francis Wright 22:35

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

09/02/01 (3:45 p.m.)
Soccer - Mississippi State (2-0) used three second half goals to fight off slow field conditions as the Bulldogs put the finishing touches on a perfect weekend with a 4-2 victory over Arkansas-Little Rock (0-2) Sunday afternoon at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.

The victory moved Mississippi State to 2-0 for the first time since 1997 and extended the Bulldogs unbeaten streak at home to four games. The win also gave Mississippi State its longest winning streak (three games) since a five-game run midway through the 1997 campaign.

"We showed great strength of character in the way we played today," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "The field conditions did not allow a great deal of true soccer to be played, but our players recognized what was necessary to do in order to get the victory."

Freshman Ngum Suh got the Bulldogs off the mark nearly 37 minutes (36:20) into the game to give the hosts the lead, but Arkansas-Little Rock knotted the score back up seven minutes later (43:20) off of a direct kick right outside the top of the box that capped the first half scoring.

Jessi Moore gave State its second lead of the game just more than two minutes into the second stanza when she finished off an assist from Brie Wallace and hit a shot into the top shelf. Sam Schwenke gave State a 3-1 lead in the 74th minute when she blasted a shot off of UALR goalkeeper Jayme Butts and into the back of the net.

The Trojans converted their second goal of the game in the 78th minute (77:20), but State extended its lead back to two goals 11 seconds later on freshman Amy Van Zandt's fourth goal of the weekend.

State will again be in action on Friday when the Bulldogs travel to Birmingham, Ala., to take part in the four-team Nike Classic hosted by UAB. The Bulldogs will open up round-robin play on Friday at 5 p.m. when they take on TCU and will close out Nike Classic play on Sunday at 4 p.m. against host-UAB.

SCORING SUMMARY, At Starkville, Miss. (MSU Soccer Field)

UALR 1 1 - 2
MISSISSIPPI ST. 1 3 - 4

36:20 MSU Ngum Suh (Peterson, Nickles)
43:20 UALR Brittany Axford (Unassisted)
47:23 MSU Jessi Moore (Wallace)
73:50 MSU Sam Schwenke (Unassisted)
77:20 UALR Axford (Unassisted)
77:31 MSU Amy Van Zandt (Rose)

SHOTS: UALR 8 (Axford, Esquibel 2), MSU 25 (Moore 7). CORNER KICKS: UALR 1, MSU 10. GOALKEEPER SAVES: UALR 7 (Butts), MSU 3 (Werges). FOULS: UALR 18, MSU 14. OFFSIDES: UALR 2, MSU 2. Att. - 283.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU media relations department

09/01/01 (7:40 p.m.)
Volleyball - Mississippi State saved its best for last in the 2001 Deacon Invitational Volleyball Tournament, closing out play in the two-day event with a 3-1 win over East Carolina. Earlier in the day, the Bulldogs battled the Big Ten Conference's Northwestern's Wildcats before bowing 3-1.

"We knew coming into this tournament that we were facing three excellent teams from three very good volleyball conferences," said coach Brenda Bowlin. "Overall I am very pleased with the way we competed --- we were aggressive and played with a great deal of energy. That's what we're looking for. And playing the caliber of teams that we faced on the opening weekend will give us a good evaluation of where we are and where we want to go."

Junior Misty Hubenthal had a match-high 17 kills and added eight digs to lead MSU past East Carolina in four games, 30-28, 26-30, 30-18 and 30-20. Jennifer Rousey had 11 kills and four blocks on a productive .429 hitting performance and Lauren Bounds had a career-best 10 kills.

The Bulldogs registered a weekend-best .314 hitting mark en route to winning the third game and finished the match with a .165 team hitting mark. State also registered 20 total blocks, seven by sophomore Hilary Chambers. Senior setter Dawn Steinhauser, back in the MSU lineup after sitting out the first two matches of the tournament, piled up a match-high 20 digs and had six kills during a .462 hitting performance.

In the earlier match, Northwestern University took advantage of a decided height advantage to register a four-game win, 30-18, 30-17, 20-30, 30-26. Middle blocker Jennifer Rousey's carded a career-high 14 kills while Misty Hubenthal had eight kills and a dozen digs. The Wildcats, 2-0, were to have met host unbeaten Wake Forest for the championship of the Deacon Invitational.

Mississippi State (1-2) now turns its attention to this weekend's second annual MSU/Ramada Inn Classic. The Bulldogs welcome Louisiana-Lafayette, Murray State and Troy State to Humphrey Coliseum for the two-day event. Friday's opening round matchups pit Murray State against UL-Lafayette at 4:30 p.m. and MSU against Troy State at 7:30 p.m. There is no charge for admission to the tournament.

Northwestern (2-0) def. MSU (0-2) 3-1 (30-18, 30-17, 20-30, 30-26)
MSU (1-2) def. East Carolina (0-3) 3-1 (30-28, 26-30, 30-18, 30-20)

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

09/01/01
Soccer - Mississippi State (1-0) erupted for three first half goals, then added a pair of insurance goals in the second half, to take a 5-1 decision from Tulane (0-1) in the season opener for both teams Friday afternoon at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.

Freshman Amy Van Zandt netted three goals to record State's first hat trick since Shannon Walsh accomplished the feat on Oct. 16, 1996, against Chattanooga. The victory was the Bulldogs' second-straight in season-opening contests and ran their record in such games above the .500 mark (4-3). The game also marked the Division I head coaching debut for Tulane's Betsy Anderson.

"Our team performance was the finest I've seen," said State head coach Neil McGuire. "Individually, everybody contributed and played to a level that they are now beginning to expect from themselves."

Mississippi State got off the mark quickly when Van Zandt finished off an assist from fellow freshman and high school teammate Jessi Moore in the sixth minute (5:36) to give State a 1-0 lead. Tulane matched the goal just more than eight minutes later (13:39) when Kelly Smith and Megan Stack used a pair of passes to find Tracey Powers who finished with a blast into the left side from close range.

However, State rallied for four unanswered goals, two of which came from the foot of Van Zandt, and rallied behind its defense to finish out the season-opening victory. Following a goal by Van Zandt in the 22nd minute (21:38), State got a goal by Kristin Peterson in the 32nd minute (32:00) to take a 3-1 lead into the break, then took an insurmountable 4-1 lead in the 56th tick (55:06) on a goal by sophomore Sam Schwenke.

Van Zandt finished off her hat trick in the 82nd minute (81:59) on a 28-yard direct kick that found its way through the hands of Green Wave goalkeeper Sara Simpson.

"Today, our ladies played soccer with a great level of maturity," said State head coach Neil McGuire. "They didn't allow outside influences such as heavy rain and field conditions to affect them. Our focus was exceptional."

Mississippi State will return to action on Sunday when the squad suits up to host visiting Arkansas-Little Rock at the Mississippi State Soccer Field. Game time is set for 1 p.m. Admission to all 2001 Mississippi State home soccer games is free of charge.

SCORING SUMMARY
At Starkville, Miss. (Mississippi State Soccer Field)

TULANE 1 0 - 1
MISSISSIPPI STATE 3 2 - 5

MSU: Amy Van Zandt (Moore), 5:36
TUL: Tracey Powers (Smith, Stack), 13:39
MSU: Van Zandt (Berry), 21:38
MSU: Kristin Peterson (Suh), 32:00
MSU: Sam Schwenke (Rose), 55:06
MSU: Van Zandt (unassisted), 81:59

SHOTS: TU 8 (Powers 4), MSU 21 (Van Zandt 8). CORNER KICKS: TU 2, MSU 2. GOALKEEPER SAVES: TU 10 (Obrofta), MSU 3 (Werges). FOULS: TU 12, MSU 10. OFFSIDES: TU 5, MSU 0. Att. - 135.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

State continues play in the two-day tournament Saturday, testing Northwestern University of the Big Ten Conference at 11 a.m. ET and then meeting East Carolina at 5 p.m. ET.

"While I was disappointed that we weren't able to get more offensive production, I did see a lot of potential on the court for us tonight," said fifth-year Bulldog head coach Brenda Bowlin. "Wake Forest was as strong a season-opening opponent as we have faced, and we held our own for most of the first two games. We used a lot of young players and I was impressed with the way they faced that challenge."

The Bulldogs managed but eight kills in the opening frame but led the Deacons until a kill by Ashley Fisher put WFU on top 19-18. MSU held the upper hand even deeper into the second game, taking a 27-26 lead on a kill by sophomore Jennifer Rousey. Rousey finished the night with a team-leading and career-high nine kills on a .364 hitting night.

Junior Misty Hubenthal was credited with seven kills, while setter Jennifer Hadden and defensive specialist Katie Carraro led the Bulldogs on defense with 12 and 10 digs respectively.

Wake Forest out-hit MSU .236 to .099, with Trina Maso De Moya, the 2000 ACC Player of the Year, leading the way. The Deacon standout had a match-leading 10 kills and 18 digs.

Mississippi State's youthful starting lineup featured three first-time starters --- sophomore setter Jennifer Hadden, middle blocker Hilary Chambers and freshman outside hitter Katy Barnette. Barnette registered three kills and nine digs, Hadden carded 22 assists and a career-best 12 digs and Chambers had five kills and a team-leading two blocks. Katie Carraro had a match-high four service aces.

The loss snapped Mississippi State's streak of 12 consecutive wins in inseason tournaments.

WAKE FOREST d. MSU 3-0 (30-23, 30-28, 30-20).

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department