A Day for the Dawgs: MSU Volleyball Picks Up Huge Awards Following Historic Regular Season

The Mississippi State volleyball team topped off its historic 2021 regular season with three big accolades on Sunday.

Head Coach Julie Darty-Dennis was named the SEC Coach of the Year on Sunday morning. During the 2021 regular season, the Bulldogs went 25-5-- including 16-2 in the SEC-- to set a record for the number of wins in a single season. They finished second in the SEC and are ranked No. 24 in the AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 poll-- their first ranking in school history.

Darty-Dennis turned the program around following many seasons with losing records and encouraged Bulldogs fans to come support a lesser-known sport. Her passion, determination and joy were evident in every match her team played.

Introducing the 2021 SEC Coach of the Year...

🌟 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐒 🌟#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/3UhD0l9KId
— Mississippi State Volleyball (@HailStateVB) November 28, 2021

Senior Gabby Waden was named to the All-SEC Team for the second straight season. She has been a huge part of her team's success and plays with incredible strength and poise. This season, Waden has accounted for 437 points on 389 kills. On defense, she has had four solo blocks, 88 assisted blocks and 60 digs.

A back-to-back All-SEC Team selection...@_thenamesgabby_‼️ 👏

🌟 𝐆𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐍 🌟#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/mLmIuJbCIF
— Mississippi State Volleyball (@HailStateVB) November 28, 2021

Mississippi State was also awarded its first NCAA Tournament bid in school history during Sunday night's selection show. The team received an at-large bid, meaning they will be traveling to the host site of a national seed for the first few rounds of the tournament. The Bulldogs will head to Seattle, Washington, where they will be in a four-team bubble with the No. 15 Washington Huskies, Hawaii and Brown.

Mississippi State will face off against Hawaii on Friday, Dec. 3. The winner of that match will play the winner of the match between Washington and Brown.