Penrod signs with State volleyball

One of the top stars on the California volleyball scene will be calling Starkville home, as Mississippi State head coach David McFatrich announced the signing of Maddi Penrod to the Bulldog volleyball program.

“We're really excited to add Maddi to our program and she will give us some depth at the pin position and will help in the middle as well,” McFatrich said. “She comes to us from MiraCosta College in California, one of the top JUCO programs in the country, and was their top offensive player. She's an exciting player to watch and we cannot wait for her to take the court for the Maroon and White.” Penrod said it was easy to be attracted to MSU.

“I chose Mississippi State because I have always wanted to go to a big school in the south with a good volleyball program,” Penrod said. “I loved the coaches and the fact that they want the players to not only grow on the court, but in life as well. Along with those things, I love the community support for MSU.”

Penrod comes to Starkville via MiraCosta College, where she was a standout for the Spartans in 2016. She paced the MCC offense with 180 kills (2.28 kills per set) en route to first team All-Conference honors. Penrod, who also contributed 60 total blocks on the defensive side, led the Spartans to one of the most memorable seasons in school history, as MCC went undefeated in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference – North Division and earned a ranking as high as No. 6 in the California Community Athletic Association.

The Escondido, Calif., native also put together six matches with double-digit kills and six showings with fiveplus blocks, including a dominating performance with 16 kills against Irvine Valley. Defensively, her best match came against Desert when she tallied a season-high seven denials.

Prior to her season at MCC, Penrod was a three-year varsity starter and team captain at Escondido High School. She racked up numerous awards in her time at EHS, including All-League second team honors and a selection to the San Diego Section Senior All-Star Team.