Men’s Tennis

With the regular season officially in the rearview mirror, the 18th-ranked Mississippi State men’s tennis team (17-7, 8-4 SEC) shifts its focus to the 2017 Southeastern Conference Tournament as the Bulldogs prepare to face 49th-ranked Vanderbilt (12-14, 2-10 SEC) today.

First serve between the Bulldogs and Commodores is set for 5 p.m., from Barksdale Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. UTsports.com will provide live stats and video.

“Our guys are excited to get back out on the courts (today) for the SEC Tournament,” MSU head coach Matt Roberts said. “We’ve had a great week of training and we feel good heading into (today). Vanderbilt has a good team that fights with a lot of heart, so we will have to bring our best game against those guys (today).”

Vanderbilt qualified for today’s match after defeating Alabama on Wednesday 4-2.

The Bulldogs enter the tournament as the fifth seed, after turning in an 8-4 record in league play. A big part of MSU’s success this season has been the play of No. 3 Nuno Borges. The sophomore has compiled a 29-5 singles record overall this season, while leading the conference with a 17-2 mark at the No. 1 spot. Borges has also racked up the ranked wins this season, downing 19 ranked foes this year and earning a 4-2 record against top-10 foes.

The Bulldogs have been strong all season long in singles action, but it’s the turnaround in doubles play that has been a bright spot for MSU of late. The Bulldogs have won the last five doubles points this season, with MSU taking a total of 14 this year. The ninth-ranked Bulldog pair of Niclas Braun and Trevor Foshey have led the charge with a 17-9 record and are responsible for clinching five doubles points. The senior duo of Mate Cutura and Vaughn Hunter lead MSU in the clinch category, having delivered seven doubles points for the Bulldogs.

In March, MSU and Vanderbilt faced off in Nashville with the Bulldogs taking a 5-2 decision. Since that defeat, the Commodores have gone 3-6 to close out the season with three tough, 4-3 defeats in that mix.

No. 54 Daniel Valent leads Vanderbilt, who is fresh off an upset of No. 27 Mazen Osama Wednesday, leads the team with a 2315 record in singles action.

If MSU should win today, it will face No. 19 South Carolina in the SEC quarterfinals on Friday at 5 p.m.

Volleyball

As the 2017 season stands just months away, Mississippi State head coach David McFatrich announced the additions of coaching standouts Diego Castaneda and Garrett Bitter to his staff on Wednesday.

“I’m very excited to welcome both Diego and Garrett to our Mississippi State Volleyball family,” McFatrich said. “Not only do they each bring the experience and qualities I was looking for, such as integrity, social responsibility and great work ethic, they also share my passion for developing this program and a desire to give our volleyball student-athletes a wonderful collegiate experience.”

Both Castaneda and Bitter bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the Bulldogs, as the two have become rising stars in the coaching ranks over the last several years.

“To be candid, I started the search process without knowing anything about them, but their names kept popping up so I started doing my homework,” McFatrich said. “After a thorough check, I brought them in for interviews and felt strongly that they were a great fit and filled the needs I had. They each understand where this program is and where we’re heading. Also, it was important for me to find assistant coaches who were going to make me a better coach and Diego and Garrett will do just that.”

A well-known figure on the volleyball coaching circuit who has had stops in the Big 12, ACC and Southeastern Conference, Castaneda joins MSU as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Castaneda makes his way to Starkville via Athens, Ga., where he spent last season as an assistant with the Georgia Bulldogs.

“I am very excited and extremely grateful for this opportunity to join the Mississippi State athletic department,” Castaneda said. “I would like to thank Director of Athletics John Cohen, Scott Wetherbee, Jared Benko and head coach David McFatrich for giving me the chance to contribute to the success and growth of the volleyball program. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves, hit the ground running, build amazing relationships with the studentathletes and recruits, and help take the program to new heights.”

Prior to joining Georgia’s staff, Castaneda spent three years at Wake Forest, where worked primarily with the middle blockers and liberos along. Castaneda was instrumental in a trio of Demon Deacons earning ACC honors while signing numerous top 150 recruits throughout his tenure. Castaneda also stayed heavily involved in the Winston-Salem volleyball community, taking the role of head coach of the Deacon Volleyball Academy.

Bitter comes to Starkville after spending last season as an assistant with the Stony Brook Seawolves. In his year at Stony Brook, Bitter helped produce a pair of America East All-Conference honorees, as McKyla Brooks was chosen All-America East First Team and Maria Poole earned All-America East Rookie Team laurels. The Seawolves finished the year second in the America East in hitting percentage (.197), total assists (1,274), total kills (1,382) and total attacks (3,736).

“It’s an honor to be able to join the Mississippi State volleyball staff and have the opportunity to coach in such a dominant league like the SEC,” Bitter said. “I’m thankful to athletic director John Cohen, coach David McFatrich and the entire administration for this opportunity to be a part of the MSU family. I am also extremely grateful for the leadership and teachings of my previous mentors and coaches. Their knowledge, leadership and character were key in leading me to Mississippi State. This volleyball program is certainly on the rise and I am excited to become a part of this family and help take it to even greater heights.”

A star setter in his own playing days, Bitter was responsible for the growth and development of star Stony Brook setter Morgan Kath, who finished the season second in the league with 926 assists and third with 9.65 assists per set. Kath wrapped up her sophomore campaign standing fourth on the school’s alltime assists per set list and seventh on the total assists chart.