2020 BULLDOGS | STUDENT-ATHLETES
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GABBY WADEN JR. | MB/RS | 5-10 COLUMBIA, S.C. BLYTHEWOOD HS 2019 (Sophomore) Season: Played in 30 matches with 22 starts…Saw action in 108 sets…Led the team in kills (343) and points (378)…Tallied double-digit kills in a team-best 18 matches, and 20-plus kills in two matches…Only Bulldog to eclipse 20 kills in a match…Had season-high 24 kills on a .409 hitting percentage against North Florida (Sept. 19)…Totaled season-best six blocks at Jacksonville State (Sept. 14) to go along with 16 kills on a .414 hitting percentage…Collected a hitting average above .300 in 12 matches…Boasted season-best hitting percentage (.588) via 10 kills and no errors against Jackson State (Sept. 19)…Named to Southern Miss Classic All-Tournament Team after collecting 45 kills on a .429 hitting mark over three matches (Sept. 6-7)…Had a hitting percentage of .423 or better in all three contests…Earned MVP honors at the Hail State Invitational (Sept. 19-20) via 48 kills and a .429 attacking rate…Added nine blocks…Collected 20 kills versus Ole Miss (Oct. 4) while posting a .357 hitting mark.
Prior to College High School: Lettered all four years at Blythewood High School under head coach Mary Hall… Collected over 1,000 kills and 500 blocks during her high school career…Three-time captain and team most valuable player…Three-time South Carolina Coaches Association all-state and the American Volleyball Coaches Association Phenom List…Named region player of the year each of her last three seasons…All-region selection all four years…Finalist for South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior…Named All-Midlands Player of the Year as a junior… Also performed in the classroom as she was named to the Principal’s Honor Roll her junior and senior years.
2018 (Freshman) Season: Appeared in 14 matches, notching six starts…Recorded 56 kills…Finished the season with 21 total blocks…Tallied season-high eight kills in three matches…Made Bulldog debut and first-career start at Tennessee (Oct. 7)…Converted season-best five blocks against Auburn (Nov. 21).
Personal Born Gabrielle Amanda Waden on March 31, 2000 in Columbia, South Carolina…Daughter of Samuel Waden II (Antoinette) and Davett Waden…Has eight siblings; Katelyn, Nina, Tre, Zoe and Zuri Waden, Anaiah Thompson and Kiersten and Trinity Davis…Majoring in communications with a concentration in broadcasting.
Club: Played for SC Midlands Volleyball…Earned Palmetto Region first-team honors three straight years from 2014-16…Named to the 2016 AAU All-America team.
CALLIE MINSHEW SO. | OH | 5-11 BRANDON, MISS. BRANDON HS 2019 (Freshman) Season: Started all 30 matches…One of two Bulldogs to play all 114 sets…Led the team with 29 service aces…Had the most digs (268) of any freshman in the SEC, the third best mark on the team…Finished No. 2 on the squad in kills (255) and points (303.5)…Ended campaign among the top 10 MSU freshmen all-time in three categories; attack attempts (No. 4; 1,027), service aces (tied for No. 8; 29) and kills (No. 9; 255)…Only student-athlete on the team with at least 200 kills and 200 digs…Totaled six double-double performances, the second-highest mark on the team; vs. New Orleans (17 kills, 10 digs), UAB (10 kills, 16 digs), Auburn (11 kills, 15 digs), at LSU (14 kills, 13 digs), at Texas A&M (10 kills, 10 digs) and at Arkansas (12 kills, 13 digs)…Tallied double-digit kills 10 times and 10-plus digs on 13 occasions…Collected seasonhigh 17 kills in back-to-back matches against Western Illinois (Aug. 31) and New Orleans (Sept. 6)…Picked up season-high 16 digs against UAB (Sept. 20)…Had multiple service aces in eight matches…Converted season-best three service aces versus Mississippi Valley State (Aug. 30)… Made collegiate debut against Chattanooga (Aug. 30) and had seven kills, seven digs and three blocks…Tallied nine kills and 14 digs in first SEC match at No. 16 Kentucky (Sept. 27)…Led State to victory with a double-double against Auburn (Oct. 25).
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Prior to College High School: Prepped at Brandon High School under head coach Kelsa Walker…Led the Bulldogs to a pair of state championships…Twice named the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year, as a junior and senior…Two-time Mississippi Volleyball Player of the Year, as a sophomore and senior…Earned All-America honors from PrepVolleyball.com as a senior…Named South MVP at the 2019 Mississippi North/South Volleyball All-Star Game…Earned Under Armour All-American honorable mention honors…Named to Brandon High School Hall of Fame… Academically, part of the All-A honor roll. Personal Born Caroline Grace Minshew on February 9, 2001 in Jackson, Mississippi…Daughter of Flint and Kim Minshew…Father, Flint, played football at Millsaps College (1988-91) and is in the Millsaps Hall of Fame…Has one brother, Gardner, and one sister, Meredith…Brother, Gardner, played football at East Carolina (2016-17) and Washington State University (2018-19), and is a quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars…Gardner played for MSU football coach Mike Leach at Washington State…Sister, Meredith, also attended State…Majoring in kinesiology with a concentration in sport administration.
