The Student Printz October 5, 2022 | Volume 108 Issue 6

Editorial: It’s Time To Pay the Money Back

BY SM2 STAFF

Welfare funds were created for families and/ or people who cannot completely provide for themselves. For some, they may be the difference between being able to keep lights on or food in their kitchens.

In Mississippi, other than food stamps, one of the most significant welfare programs is Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). This program was created to provide benefits for families with needy children that are under the age of 18. According to Mississippi Today, approximately 3,000 families in Mississippi are receiving this aid.

However, in 2017, this as sistance was taken advantage of and misused by people who make more than enough money to support efforts themselves. Brett Favre, notable USM foot ball alum and professional football legend, is one the most famousindividuals involved with

this scandal. Five million dol lars of welfare-intended funds was allegedly taken from the Mississippi Communication Education Center to build a well-equipped volleyball facility on USM’s Hattiesburg campus. Other notable faces involved were Nancy New, a member of the USM athletic foundation and John Davis, the director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services. New and Davis helped Favre acquire the funds.

The scandal is killing Fa vre’s reputation and it’s taking USM down with it. It’s hard to understand why Favre complet ed these actions, however the solution seems simple enough: Someone needs to give back the money.

So far, Favre has paid back $1.1 million of the misused funds, but he did so without including the incurred interest of $228,000. Favre was paid $137 million dollars in his 20-year football career. Why

couldn’t he have funded this project out of his pocket?

In the media, Favre’s brand is prided on being “for the people” but how can one be pro-people but misuse funds that could have helped so many? Favre’s charity, Favre 4 Hope, whose mission is to support “disadvan taged and disabled children and breast cancer patients,” donated more than $130,000 to USM’s athletic foundation and in 2019 and 2020, the foundation became the single biggest bene ficiary from the charity.

Text messages from 2019 also reveal that Favre seemed to know what he had done was wrong, but otherwise, did not seem to care about the con sequences of his actions. The messages were between Favre and ex-governor of Mississippi, Phil Bryant, one stating “We are going to get there. This was a great meeting. But we have to follow the law. I am too old for Federal Prison,” with an added

smiley face emoji following the message.

Favre’s daughter also played for the USM volleyball team for four years, so it makes sense that he would have a new facil ity built for the sport that she played. However, what kind of example is that setting for his daughter?

Not only were his actions selfish, but they were unethical.

As a student at USM, after the revelations of this scandal, it makes me wonder what oth er corruption has been swept under the rug by those who are supposed to have good inten tions for the university. What other secrets lie below the surface?

His actions are appalling and shouldn’t be tolerated. Either Favre or the university should pay back the money to the state in full, plus interest, and an apology should be issued. Somebody has to pay it back and the university needs to talk about the matter.

The Student Printz is the student-produced newspaper of the Southern Miss Student Media Center (SM2) in the School of Media and Communication at The University of Southern Mississippi. It is published every Wednesday morning and updated online at www.SM2media.com. The newspaper has been printed since 1927, serving the campus and community with news and information. Today, SM2 student journalists and media producers create and share stories with multiple medias on mul tiple platforms using the most modern technology housed in College Hall. SM2 includes Southern Miss Radio, Southern Miss TV, Southern Miss, SM2 Creative, and SM2 Strategic Communication.

Opinions

Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publication manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.

Editorial Policy

The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not represent those of the faculty, staff or administration of The University of Southern Mississippi. We welcome letters to the editor representing similar and contrasting opinions. To be eligible for publication, all submission must include name, class distinction, major, phone number and email address. Submissions should be emailed to printzeditors@ gmail.com by 5 p.m. on the Friday before publication. Please limit them to 500 words or less. The Student Printz reserves the right to refuse publication or edit any material on the basis of clarity, space or journalistic ethics.

THE CONTRIBUTORS

SM2 News Director Kyra Lampley kyra.lampley@usm.edu

4th Street Sports Producer Charlie Luttrell charles.luttrell@usm.edu

SM2 Sports Director

Austin Lindsey austin.lindsey@usm.edu

Printz Executive Editor

Loren Jones loren.jones@usm.edu

SMTV Executive Producer

Garret Grove garret.grove@usm.edu

4th Street Sports Reporter

Letter to the Editor

Editor, the Printz,

is to the person or people who keep rip ping down the Resist the Patriarchy signs from the LAB stairwell bulletin boards. You should remem ber that this country and this university protect speech whether you like that speech or not. As the Supreme Court stated in Cohen v California 403 U.S. 15 (1971), if you don’t like the speech, then you can simply avert your eyes.

KATE GREEN

SM2 Reporter

Howell

Layout Team Cam Bonelli catherine.bonelli@usm.edu

SM2 Reporter Shannon Barbin shannon.barbin@usm.edu

Photo Editor Sean Smith seanasmith@usm.edu

OCTOBER 5,2022

USM Faculty Senate remarks at President Search Session

Remarks to IHL Board Presidential Search Committee on Octo ber 3, 2022

Prepared by the Ex ecutive Committee of the Faculty Senate (Denis Wiesenburg, Emily Stanback, Jennifer Courts and Can dice Salyers.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today as you begin the search for the University of Southern Mississippi’s next Pres ident. I speak today on behalf of the USM faculty as President of the Faculty Senate. We have about 600 faculty at USM. Considering that it typically takes seven years after an undergraduate degree to complete a Ph.D., that means our faculty have over 4,000 years of combined experience preparing to become faculty members—in addition to our combined years of service to the University and to Mississippi. Our fields of study cover everything from Anthropol ogy to Business to Management to Polymer Science to Visual Arts. Our faculty is a brain trust that we believe the next USM President should take advantage of, and that we likewise hope the Presidential Search Committee takes advantage of in the coming months.

In our next President, we need someone who will work in partner ship with the faculty and staff to guide our university into the future. That partnership must include a dedication to academic freedom, the bedrock principle of higher education in the United States which enables faculty to teach and research according to their exper tise—guided by truth rather than expediency, even in cases when the truths at hand are difficult ones to confront.

In our next President, we need someone who is dedicated to including the best minds at USM in determining our common goals and how to accomplish the Uni versity’s mission. Some call this shared governance. Regardless of what it is called, strong leaders know that including their constitu ents in the decision-making pro cess produces better decisions. It also can lead to a more stable and cohesive community, and can lead to greater innovation.

In our next President, we need someone who has distinguished themselves as a leader in their field. They need not necessarily have a terminal degree, but they

need to have shown effective leadership. To our minds, the most effective leaders do not see themselves as managers, but rather see themselves as collaborators in the shared endeavor of higher education. Interim President Joe Paul has described his vision of the University as a dance between the faculty and the students—with the administration as the prom com mittee.

In our next President, we need someone who shares Dr. Paul’s vision and strives to provide the resources needed for the dance be tween our faculty and students to be successful. Our faculty at USM are dedicated to their students through teaching, research, service, and mentorship. In its Mission, USM defines itself as a “communi ty of engaged citizens” who seek to “serv[e] Mississippi, the nation, and the world,” and outlines its Vision as “a model student-centered pub lic research university.” Faculty are key to achieving these goals, and we need a President who acknowl edges our role in achieving the University’s Mission and Vision, and is committed to supporting us in working for the benefit of our students and the University com munity.

We believe that a “model stu dent-centered public research university” that seeks to “serv[e]” re quires a particular kind of leader— one who won’t seek the role for the prominence it might offer but for the good that it might enable them to accomplish.

Thank you for listening to us at the beginning of this presidential search process. We hope that you

will allow our vibrant and dedicat ed University community to play a significant role as the search progresses. In particular, we hope you will draw on the brain trust of USM’s Faculty and allow us to assist you in choosing a President that will work collaboratively with us to move the University forward in the years to come.

Sean Smith | Photo Editor

President Search Committe during the Listening Session Monday, October 3,2022.

OCTOBER 5, 2022

USM ALUM MISUSES STATE WELFARE FUNDS FOR CAMPUS FACILTY

JA’TERRICA WILSON AND ABIGAIL TROTH SM2 REPORTERS

The University of South ern Mississippi has been on the wrong end of a torrent of bad publicity for months after media reports, text messag es and court documents show that the USM allegedly received $5 million from federal welfare funds to build the volleyball gym nasium that opened in 2020. The alleged mis-spending also involves Brett Favre, the most famous former USM athlete. So far, the university has been silent on how it plans to respond to the scandal.

The Student Media Center emailed the University’s spokes person, James Coll, in hopes of finding out why no one is speak ing on this matter.

“At present, USM does not plan to publicly discuss the matter in detail. I am sorry that I cannot accommodate your re quest at this time,” Coll said in response to the Student Media Center’s proposal. “Please do not hesitate to reach out again in the future.”

The Deal:

In a press release from USM athletics dated Oct. 19, 2017, then athletics director John Gil bert announced plans to build a multi-purpose building that emphasized three ideas: Collabo ration, creativity and community. In the release, he noted their “masterful collaboration” with the Mississippi Community Educa tion Center and that the project had the approval of the State Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees. The release went on to say, quoting Gilbert, “I am deeply impressed with the creativity and problem-solving skills of all involved … through funding models. The center will be funded through private giv ing and in partnership with the MCEC.” The idea, according to the press release, was that the building would be used as the home of the volleyball team and as a place to “host camps and clinics, classes, community events, seminars and group meet ings,” as they have the ability.

The deal with the MCEC and approved by the IHL involved

the USM Athletic Foundation as a conduit for the building funds. According to reports by report er Anna Wolfe, a reporter for the nonprofit news organization Mississippi Today, the athletic foundation leased all athletic facilities. They then leased the Wellness Center to MCEC who paid them $5 million.

The MCEC was funded by the Mississippi Department of Hu man Services, the public assis tance agency that receives federal funds from the Temporary As sistance for Needy Families or TANF program. Nancy New ran MCEC and was also on the board of the athletic foundation.

According to the U.S. De partment of Health and Human Services website, TANF funds provide states with funds for operating programs “designed to help low-income families with children achieve economic self-sufficiency.” States are to use TANF funds to give monthly cash assistance payments to low-in come families with children, among other specific services. TANF rules strictly forbid the use of funds for construction proj ects.

According to IRS Form 990s filed by the USM Athletic Foun dation, they received exactly $1,064,280 in “rental property income” for the years of 2020,

2019 and 2018, which account ed for 12% -14% of their total an nual revenue. They had no rental income in previous years.

New has pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts of mis-spending federal and state welfare funds. John Davis, the former director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services is still currently awaiting trial on 20 state and federal counts.

The Cast of Characters

An iconic Southern Miss Alumni and Pro Hall-of-Famer is now at the forefront of the biggest public fraud case in Mississippi history. The head of a non-profit organization and a former Mississippi governor are tailing behind him. It all stems from said non-profit organization that was made to help the low-in come families in Mississippi, and how money from this organiza tion was used to build the Well ness Center on campus and dole out tens of millions of dollars to politically connected people according to media reports.

But with so many people either denying involvement or facing criminal charges, ques tions are still left unanswered. Many politically connected and elite Mississippians have been revealed to be directly related to the scandal. The scandal involves familiar faces to the USM cam

pus. The Quarterback:

Brett Favre had a storied foot ball career at USM from 19871990, setting records, winning games and preparing for an NFL career. He ended up being one of most sturdy players in history by playing in nearly 300 straight regular season games and set ting a pile of records. He played for 20 seasons and made $137 million in salary according to spotrac.com.

His youngest daughter, Bre leigh, was an acclaimed high school volleyball player who graduated from Oak Grove High School in 2017 and signed to play at USM that year. She played on the USM Beach Volleyball team for four years, 2019-2022. She transferred to LSU this sum mer as a graduate transfer.

According to a timeline pub lished by Mississippi Today, on April 20, 2017, Favre contacted then-Gov. Phil Bryant about rais ing money for a new volleyball gymnasium at USM. According to a text exchange from Favre and Bryant obtained by Missis sippi Today, Favre said, “Deanna (Brett’s wife) and I are building a volleyball facility on campus and I need your influence somehow to get donations and or sponsor ships. Obviously Southern has no money so I’m hustling to get it

Bret Farve, Nacey New and John Davis after meeting together in 2017 with USM Athletic Depatment staff.

raised. We want to start this sum mer and finish in a year or less.”

“We will have that thing built before you know it. One thing I know how to do is raise money,” Bryant responded.

In July 2017, Favre met with Nancy New of MCEC and John Davis of the Mississippi Depart ment of Human Services to fund construction of a new volleyball stadium at the university—now known as “the Wellness Center.”

At the proposal meeting, Favre met with USM athletics officials, Davis, and New, according to Mississippi Today. At some point, Favre also received $1.1 million from MCEC for promoting their programs with personal and me dia appearances. He has returned this money to the state.

Lately, Favre has come under harsh criticism from former NFL players, sports commentators and media outlets for his involve ment in the gym funding. Just last week, it was reported that his foundation, Favre 4 Hope, gave USM donations for the gym construction, including $10,000 in 2017 according to their IRS Form 990, when the mission of the foundation, according to their IRS 990 form, is, “To support charitable organizations whose focus is to provide support for disadvantaged children who reside in Mississippi…”

According to Mississippi Today, Bud Holmes, Favre’s local attorney, claimed that Favre was unaware that the money he re ceived was from the welfare fund. “Brett Favre has been honorable throughout this whole thing,” Holmes said during a recent interview.

Nancy New:

Nancy New received her degree in education at USM in 1974, according to a press re lease about her published on the athletics website in 2016. She served on several university-relat ed boards including the Educa tion and Psychology board and the USM Athletic Foundation board from 2014-2018. New is no stranger to the USM Founda tion also. She currently has an office in College Hall named for her and two there are two active scholarships in her name.

She founded MCEC in 1992, according to incorporation documents from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office. Their IRS Form 990 states that their purpose is “for the promotion, improvement and expansion of community education through

OCTOBER 5, 2022

training seminars, consulting services and technical assistance.”

She also started New Sum mit Schools, a private school for nontraditional students with learning difficulties, which in cluded a branch in Hattiesburg. The school closed in 2021 after her federal indictment leaving students and parents in a lurch.

According to Mississippi Today reports, she started communicat ing with Brett Favre in July, 2017. In August, Favre asked New, “If you were to pay me is there any way the media can find out where it (the $1.1 million) came from and how much?” She respond ed, “No, we never have had that information publicized. I under stand you being uneasy about that though.”

Former Governor Phil Bryant: Phil Bryant graduated from USM in 1977 with a degree in criminal justice and served as governor from 2012 to 2020. Bryant’s texts and emails, ob tained by Mississippi Today, show his keen interest in getting the Wellness Center funded.

The USM Athletic Foundation:

The USM Athletic Founda tion is at the center of the use of welfare money to build the volleyball center. During the time of planning the Wellness Center in 2017, its members included community business leaders and former athletes. They

were Abb Payne, Al Gordy, Au brey Collum, Cathay Sessums, Evan Dillard, Nancy New, Grant Dyess (president), Jim Warren (treasurer), Kami Wert, Krandall Howell, Larry Davis, Leigh Breal (vice-president), Lisa McMahon, Mack Grubbs, Mickey Hudson, Mike Arrington, Mike Landrum, Richard Johnston, Robot Dews, Ron Savell (secretary), Spencer Adams, Tom Milam, Vic Roberts, Wade Walters, Wren Hood, For mer athletic director Jon Gilbert, former athletic director Bill McGillis, Brian Bledsoe, Jerome Brown, Forest Roberts, Alan Lu cas, Poncho James, Charlie Sulli van, and Chief Financial Officer Christi Holloway according the their 2017 IRS Form 990.

The $1 lease of campus athlet ic facilities by the USM Athletic Foundation in May and June of 2017 started the plan to build the gym. According to Mississippi Today, the IHL’s David Buford ex plained the plan to an insurance professional who had questions, “USM leases the grounds (which is a vacant space and a parking lot next to a USM-insured build ing) and the Foundation gets financing, builds a new building, and gives the new building back to USM.” There is no evidence that the foundation knew the ac tual source of the grant, accord ing to Mississippi Today.

Campus Reaction:

While the university has had no comment about the volleyball gym being allegedly built using $5 million in welfare funds, stu dents and faculty members have had plenty to say.

Last month, Denis Wiesen berg, professor of marine science and the Faculty Senate president, told the Student Media Cen ter, “How our volleyball arena was funded has really tarnished the reputation of the university. (Interim) President Paul is work ing on the problem of restoring our reputation pretty much every day.”

Bob Press, a member of the faculty senate welfare and envi ronment committee said that the university should give back the $5 million and also open athletic facilities to community organiza tions as originally promised. He also hoped to be a part of the remedy. He said that they asked the president’s office that when they craft a solution, the faculty senate through our welfare and environment committee could help participate in the implemen tation.

USM student Cameron Whit ing, said that he’s been following the story and had this blunt opin ion about Brett Favre. “He stole a lot of money,” said Whiting.

Sean Smith

Photo Editor

Brett Favre, left, stands

his daughter, Breleigh, center,

Shatterproof Student Association debuts to educate and promote awareness for addiction.

SHANNON BARBIN SM2 REPORTER

The SSA is currently made up of more than 30 members and a handful of leaders in cluding Ashley Martin, the Presi dent for the SSA and Olivia Damp ier, the Vice President for the SSA who are both psychology majors.

In the spring semester of 2022, Martin took a class taught by Dr. Michael Madson, professor of psy chology, in an Addiction Counsel ing. While being a student learning in that class, Martin began noticing that she was unlearning miscon ceptions concerning addiction that she grew up believing. Madson had brought up the idea of a starting a possible group at USM that would focus on factors that were taught in the Addiction Counseling class.

“I think for me, this planted a seed. The more I thought about it, the more the seed grew, and it didn’t take long before the seed sprouted in my head, and I knew I

needed to a be a part of this effort to be the change we wat to see,” said Martin.

Madson and Martin worked together over the summer to organize the SSA. They wanted to partner with an organization that shared common values. That is when they found Shatterproof. As it turned out, Shatterproof was looking to expand to college cam puses. Madson and Martin met with two staff members from Shat terproof to discuss their visions for the campus. What they soon found out was that Shatterproof aligne with the very same core values that the university envisioned.

The goal of the SSA is to create a positive environment for those who are battling addiction or are in the process of recovery by edu cating and spreading awareness to combat stigma while creating a community of allies and advo cates. The SSA provides access to evidence-based prevention, treat ment, recovery and harm reduction

services.

“It is really exciting and reward ing to see a group of students, led by Ashley, organized so quickly around the mission to combat stigma. In my drugs and behavior class and addiction counseling class, I often see students challenge their thoughts about addiction and recovery,” said Madson. “However, to see students take that one step further and develop a group fo cused on advocacy is outstanding. The response to the development of SSA at USM, in Hattiesburg and Mississippi highlights the importance of what Ashley and her fellow students are doing. I am confident this group will have a lasting impact on campus creating an affirming environment for those struggling with addiction or who are in recovery.”

The SSA is targeted at students at USM that have an interest in learning about substance abuse disorders by promoting awareness and educational factors to break

the stigma focused on addiction.

“Shatterproof means a lot to me. I want to help anyone that is struggling and feels alone. I also want to help educate people on the truth of substance use and to break the stigma that comes around drugs and alcohol,” said Dampier. “Shatterproof is a com munity of like-minded people who want to serve, lead, comfort and collaborate with others. Shatter proof means breaking the barriers and opening up conversations about topics that normally are not talked about.”

The SSA kicked off its first official meeting on Sept. 29. The second meeting will be hosted on Nov. 3. All of the meetings are held in OMH 227 at 4 p.m.

For more information on the Shatterproof Student Association, reach out through Instagram @ USMShatterproof, Facebook @ USM Shatterproof Student Asso ciation or by email at usmshatter proof@gmail.com.

Learning and laughter at PRISM’s Human Library Event

On Sept. 28, PRISM, Southern Miss’ LGBTQ+ center, host ed a “Human Library” event. Coordinator of Program ming and PRISM Wes Shaffer hopes that guests were able to find representation. Participant Jenna Dittmer also shared her thoughts. With increasing hostility towards the LGBTQ+ community in recent months, the event was an import ant space for fostering empathy and solidarity.

Guests moved in 10-minute rotations to different tables around the IME space. The space itself was abuzz with positive messages, from pride flag banners to quotes about diversity and inclusivity. Partici pants shared personal stories with important life lessons such as per

severance, pride and more. Guests listened in and shared their own perspectives, leading to important and intimate conversations.

Shaffer discussed the inspira tion for the event. They wanted a way for students to connect with al lies on campus as well as see them selves represented in the Southern Miss community. “I really feel like representation is at the forefront of our office and my vision, so I want ed to show [students] that there was representation of who they are across campus,” they said. “Not every single person in this room looks the same, and that’s what we really wanna show, is the inclusiv ity within IME and our campus community.”

Representation was a common theme of the night. The partici pants come from a list of official allies — students, faculty, and staff who have received Allies training

from PRISM. The allies draw from all walks of life on campus. One participant, activist and graduate student Jenna Dittman, shared why she chose to attend.

“I agreed to participate in this event because I feel that it is neces sary for students to see all differ ent types of representation,” said Dittman, whose story was about how growing up as a multiracial first-generation immigrant im pacted her life. “Being a graduate student at the Inclusion Center, I really wanted to interact and make sure that the students here feel that their leadership also wants to talk and learn with them,” she said.

This event comes at a time when LGBTQ+ identities are increasingly under attack. In recent months, conservatives have labeled the LGBTQ+ community and its allies as groomers and predators. Back in 2021, Governor Tate Reeves made

Mississippi the first state to ban transgender women and girls from competing in sports. And a survey from The Trevor Project found that suicide rates for LGBTQ+ youths rose to 45% in the past year.

Shaffer says that this backlash makes their work at PRISM more important. “We know that [inclu sivity] plays into suicide factors, suicide rates, and also the students going to student counseling. So I really think that it’s important that we make sure that they’re valued, they’re heard here, and also that they have a home,” they said.

PRISM is a branch of USM’s Office of Inclusion and Multicul tural Development. They provide programming and a safe space for people of all genders and sexual ities in the Southern Miss Com munity. They hold events like this throughout the school year, which are open to people across campus.

The Loblolly Festival’s Impact on Laurel

ABIGAIL MARIE TROTH SM2 REPORTER

The City of Laurel hosted the annual Loblolly Festival on Oct. 1, 2022 in Downtown.

This year’s event was expected to be the biggest festival yet, featuring 229 vendors along the streets of Downtown Lau rel. There was live music, food, kids activities, chainsaw woodart demonstrations, among a plethora of other things. While the city gathered for the be loved festival, many wonder how this festival was started and just how impactful it is. Thousands were gathered for the event, dousing the streets of Laurel to support small busi nesses, enjoy live music, and explore “The City Beautiful.”

People came from all over the South to visit the event, which was no doubt another success. However, many also wonder how Loblolly got started, and just how impactful it truly is. Laurel, Mississippi was first established in 1882, and one thing was quickly noticed about the Southern town—the Lob lolly wood, or “yellow pine.” The town became known for the pine, which helped sus tain the economy and raise the population in Laurel. As the years passed, and Laurel grew, the residents of the town found a way to honor the wood that built their city, doing so

through the Loblolly Festival.

While the festival was orig inally called the Main Street Festival, this was changed in 2008. Since then, it has been called the Loblolly Festival, and has only grown in pop ularity. The festival has been featured on HGTV’s popular Laurel-based television se ries “Home Town.” The event and the series helps to bring tourism to the city, bringing attention to the beloved Laurel Mercantile and Scotsman Co. General Store.

The festival is only held one day of the year, on the first Saturday in October. But once the event is held, it encapsu lates the community and helps establish the home town charm that Laurel is renowned for.

“We can all just get togeth er and have a good time and celebrate that with food, art, music. It’s a really, really fun time and it really enhances the experience downtown,” said Seth Walker, a Laurel Mercan tile employee.

The festival also helps to bolster support of community businesses. As vendors from all over the state, and especially Laurel, flood the streets, the festival is a way for businesses to show off what they have to offer to the public. Featuring boutiques, handmade items, homemade recipes, and so much more, the festival is

doing what it can to aid small businesses.

“It draws thousands of peo ple to the downtown. Whether you’re a restaurant or a shop, you’re guaranteed a lot of foot traffic that day,” said Laurel

Main Street Promotions Chair Keri Rowell said.

The Loblolly Festival is one of the biggest events in Laurel, and is a beloved event that will be remembered for generations to come.

Laurel, Miss. train mural above the Scotsman Co. General Store.

Abigail Marie Troth | SM2 Reporter

Southern Miss Volleyball splits home series with Troy

MYA EVANS 4TH STREET SPORTS REPORTER

The Golden Eagles started the weekend with a win in a fiveset battle against the Troy Trojans Friday.

“It was a great back-andforth match all night. We did well in the first, and Troy did well in the second. We had a stronger third and they had a stronger fourth,” said Head Coach Jenny Hazelwood.

Ari Barksdale made eight kills for a .412 percentage joined by Cailin Demps with a statistically parallel perfor mance Libero Megan Harris added 14 digs and Mia Wes ley had 13 kills and eight digs. But the player of the game had to be Cara Atkin son, who had 14 kills, five digs, and a .522 percentage.

“I performed the best I could with attacking — it was one of my better strengths,” Atkinson said. “I had a number of errors, but I think that’s something when you go in and if you do not focus on blocking, it’s something that can really mess you up. But I’ll try to make up for with attacking. I thought I did a great job on that part.”

The first set was tightly contested, setting the tone for the rest of the game. The Golden Eagles came out victorious in the set after a serve from Aliah Giroux led to the deciding point at 2523.

The Golden Eagles started rolling the second set, but Troy always had a response to the Golden Eagles. Troy rebounded for the lead and powered through an intense set to win 25-21.

Troy came out on a mon ster start, but the Golden Eagles shook back to contest the set and eventually took it 25-20 with an outburst on

the attack from Atkinson.

The Trojans completely controlled the fourth set until Southern Miss again staged a comeback to fight for the set, but Troy pushed ahead to 25-20 to force a fifth set.

Southern Miss set the tone in overtime, but Troy followed closely behind in a nail-biting set. The game started to get too close for comfort, but the Golden Eagles came out on top in a 16-14 win.

“We kept a great mindset, even though at times things weren’t going how we want them to go, I said, that’s what a great volleyball team does,” Hazelwood said.

“I think that we have the competence on our team where we feel like we know that we should win, and sometimes it kind of bites us in the butt where we get a lit tle bit too lackluster, and we

think that, ‘oh we got this’, but when it’s go time, we know that it’s time to turn it on”, Atkinson said. “That’s what happened.”

Game Two:

Troy commanded the second day of the matchup, sweeping Southern Miss 3-0.

“I think we’ve got to stick together as a team and as a staff. We’re going to come in Monday and it’s a new week, and we’ve got to get better,” Assistant Coach Lexie Ma clean said.

The Golden Eagles matched the intensity of the first day by competing throughout the set, but the Trojans pushed ahead to win 26-24.

From there, Southern Miss slumped to a slow start of the second set that put them at an early seven-point defi cit. The Golden Eagles start ed to find their rhythm, but Troy’s consistent defensive

effort prevented a comeback and secured their victory in the set at 25-22.

Southern Miss had a chance to redeem them selves in the third set com ing out on a fast start, but Troy responded and re gained control to take the set comfortably 25-17.

“We need to learn and get better at following a game plan. It’s easy to resort back to old habits and how you want to do things,” Maclean said. “We do our best to de fend our game plan, passing the ball high, early angles in service, so when the game gets crazy and hectic, we have to stick to our system.”

Southern Miss is now 10-6 and 2-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Gold en Eagles hit the road for a two-game stand against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks starting Friday, Oct. 7.

Sean Smith | Photo Editor

Lindsey Legg hits the ball during USM’s volleyball match at home against Troy Saturday October 1, 2022.