Program growth. Player development. Excitement.
Those are just a few of the reasons the new Rula Tennis Pavilion at Mississippi State is such a gamechanger for the Bulldog tennis teams. On Friday afternoon, MSU's $8 million indoor facility is set for a private ribbon cutting. Though competition has already previously happened on the new courts, Friday provides another chance to celebrate what a difference this venue makes for Mississippi State.
"It's part of the process of growing our program in many areas," men's head coach Matt Roberts said. "With having our Bulldog Tennis Club now rocking and rolling, we have the indoor to do events like 'Hit and Giggle' and open tennis nights for our tennis club members. So that just creates a lot of momentum. It grows our fanbase by using that facility and also allows us to schedule really strong opponents because we can guarantee them an indoor match. It helps our development. When we do a video call with recruits and show them the indoors, it helps as well. There are so many things the indoor facility helps with."
The Rula Tennis Pavilion was funded by The Bulldog Club. Several major contributors to the project will be on hand for Friday's ribbon cutting. Attendees will include the building's namesakes – Richard and Sherry Rula – who are proud to play such a large role in the development of the facility.
"It's incredibly exciting for us to be part of this project that supports men's and women's tennis at Mississippi State," Richard Rula said. "We already have one of the country's best tennis programs and with this addition, Mississippi State has taken another step forward."
All of those present will lay eyes on the 48,815 square-foot facility that includes six tennis courts, elevated spectator seating with standing room, state-of-the-art LED lighting and much more.
"We're extremely grateful to the donors for stepping up and helping us make this happen," women's head coach Darryl Greenan said. "From a day-to-day operations perspective, it improves the quality of life for coaches, players, staff and everybody. It's just a world of difference."
Greenan's team saw how big of a difference their new indoor home makes just last weekend. MSU topped Jacksonville State 7-0 in its season opener in a match that, due to weather conditions, might not have happened – or would've looked drastically different – if not for the Rula Tennis Pavilion. Instead, it occurred in front of a record crowd.
"This is the start of my 13th season and typically our first matches are cold weather," Greenan said. "If we were able to play indoors in the past, we'd only have two courts at McCarthy Gym, and there'd be nobody there. It's gone from basically nothing for the fans, to a lot of excitement for the fans and a great turnout. It definitely gives our girls a boost."
Fans will have multiple opportunities to watch Bulldog tennis inside the Rula Tennis Pavilion this weekend courtesy of a pair of doubleheaders. The Mississippi State women play on Saturday with an 11 a.m. match against Memphis followed by a 3 p.m. contest against Louisiana. Then, on Sunday, the No. 21 MSU men's group opens its season by facing Middle Tennessee at noon and UAB at 4 p.m.
Learn more about the project here.
See full article posted by hailstate.com here.