Photo by Matt Colville, Stadium Journey
Stadium Information FANFARE Score: 3.00
Southern Miss Beach Volleyball Complex
Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406
Sandy Eagles reach the top
Beach volleyball is the NCAA's newest officially sanctioned sport, and the first year of sponsorship begins during the 2016 spring season. As of the 2024 season, 68 NCAA Division I schools sponsor beach volleyball.
Southern Miss is one of those teams, with its first year of on-campus sports beginning in 2019. Entering the 2024 season, the Sand Eagles haven't had much success, with an overall record of 112 wins and 198 losses after five seasons. For the first four seasons, the Sand Eagles competed in C-USA, but in 2022 Southern Miss began a transition moving all sports to the Sun Belt Conference.
food and drink 2
There is one small snack stand at the far end of the complex, but it only serves the basics, no grills for cooking burgers or hot dogs. So all you need is the basics: candy, peanuts, and popcorn. Bottled Coca-Cola products are also available, but alcohol is available at the Southern Miss Beach Volleyball Complex, which gives it a higher score in this section. Miller Lite, Coors Light, and Yuengling cans of beer are available for $6, while Truly and Dos Equis are available for $6. It was offered for $8. Also, be sure to try the Eagle Rush beer, available for $8. This popular Miss Southern themed beer is brewed locally in Hattiesburg by Southern Prohibition.
atmosphere 3
meanwhile Southern Miss Wellness Center and reed green coliseum There is a small beach oasis called Southern Miss Beach Volleyball Complex that opened in 2019. Each spring season, the complex hosts the Beach Berg Invitational. This tournament is his two-day, all-day tournament featuring 10 to 12 local college beach volleyball teams. – Most years, these games were the Sand Eagles' only home games during the regular season.
If you didn't know this place was here, you'd have a hard time finding it. The complex is surrounded by giant old oak trees and has a fence surrounding the property, with a black Southern Miss windshield surrounding the fence. The layout is simple but very interesting, basically just the addition of sand and a wooden plank style boardwalk overlooking the sand. There are four beach volleyball courts running north and south, with a promenade on the south side.
There are three sets of metal bleachers on the boardwalk for fans to sit in, but for the most part, people just stand or sit in folding chairs. A small snack bar is located in a covered walkway at the far end of the facility, and on the east side is a large covered wooden structure where teams gather during games.
southern miss indoor volleyball field The north side overlooks the Southern Miss Beach Volleyball Complex, and the south side has the Paine Center, the campus recreation center, in the background.
neighborhood 3
The Southern Miss Beach Volleyball Complex is located at the back of campus, tucked away next to most of the other Southern Miss athletic fields. Hattiesburg is a medium-sized college town with a population of about 50,000 people, so you'll find everything you need, but you may need to drive to many of the attractions and restaurants.
In terms of places you can walk to, if you take Long Leaf Trace and walk east, the first place you'll come to is 4th Street Bar. The owner is a huge Southern Miss fan and has a lot of Southern Miss memorabilia on the walls. The walls display everything you can think of: old shows, T-shirts, banners, autographed items related to Southern Mississippi. Another of his favorite spots, just down the Trace from the 4th Street bar, is his company, Corridium Brewing, located in an old train depot. This popular brewery has over 30 varieties of his craft beers and is a popular stop for cyclists riding the Trace.
Additional attractions in the area include Hattiesburg Zoo, located approximately 1 mile away. You can also enjoy beach volleyball and beach themes at Serengeti Springs Water Park, which opens right next door in spring 2024. Zoo. There are also plenty of restaurants and other nightlife spots downtown and along Hardy Street.
fan 3
Beechburg Invitational games typically begin early Friday morning and continue throughout the day and into the evening on both Friday and Saturday. From a fan's perspective, watching this event can be somewhat confusing. This is because all four courts are used at the same time, with different schools playing on each court most of the time. All you have to do is choose a coat. Watch the action.
There is no PA announcer as there is always music playing. I found it relaxing to just look at the player while listening to music. I remembered being at the beach. During games, they play an eclectic mix of classic rock, country and the latest hits over the speakers. There is also no scoreboard or video board here. Instead, scorers simply set up a table with a flip-style scoreboard, similar to those seen at youth or rec league volleyball games.
Since only one home tournament is held on campus each year, the athletic department typically schedules the Beach Burg Invitational to coincide with a key spring weekend for Southern Miss sports. baseball, soft balland spring football The match will be held on the same weekend as the beach volleyball contest. That said, as the tournament progresses into Friday and Saturday afternoons, more people stop by to watch everything from baseball games to beach volleyball games. Afternoon contests are usually quite crowded with a few hundred fans, but most fans are standing room only, as it gets harder to sit in the bleachers later in the day.
access 3
Hattiesburg may be one of the most accessible towns in Mississippi. Nicknamed the Hub City, it was once an important rail hub for people wanting to get to Hattiesburg from the coast. Hattiesburg is conveniently located about an hour and a half from the coasts of New Orleans, Jackson, Meridian, and Mobile, right in the middle.
The USM campus is located on the corner of Highway 49 and Hardy Street, two major roads through the city, so you can't miss it when you're in town. Interstate 55 runs along the west side of the city, and you can take advantage of it, but you may encounter significant traffic at Hardy Street. The Southern Miss Beach Volleyball Complex is located at the back of campus on 4th Street and across the street. pete taylor parkHowever, it is located in a location that may not be visible from the road.
Beach volleyball parking competes with parking during the Beach Berg Invitational. baseball During games – Many parking lots are reserved for baseball season ticket holders, so you’re more likely to have to walk. However, there is a parking lot nearby with plenty of free parking, and you can also park near the student union and walk from there.
Return on investment 3
Tickets to Southern Miss beach volleyball games are free, and on-campus parking is also free when you attend. It's also a unique niche college sport, and when you come to a college baseball game, you can't help but want to watch it. pete taylor parkSo, I highly recommend that you check it out at least a little bit.
extra 4
Although the Sand Eagles typically host only one home tournament a year, the Southern Miss Beach Volleyball Complex is used year-round, as it is also home to the William Carey Crusaders beach volleyball team, an NAIA school on the South Side. I am. of Hattiesburg. Additionally, the complex hosts volleyball camps and youth tournaments throughout the year.
Southern Miss Beach Volleyball is Mississippi's only NCAA D1 sanctioned beach volleyball program, another benefit of the Beechburg Invitational, which is scheduled for the same weekend as Southern Miss' other sporting events.
My recommendation is to watch a bit of a volleyball game when the gates open at 8am, then venture out to play volleyball. MM Roberts Stadium For the spring football game. Then, cross 4th Street and ride the Long Leaf Trace for your visit. Southern Miss Softball Complex and pete taylor park Enjoy a game of softball or baseball, then return to the Southern Miss Beach Volleyball Complex to end the night.
If you have a chance to come here in the fall, indoor volleyball matchYou may also want to check out the brand new Southern Miss Wellness Center located right next to the Southern Miss Beach Volleyball Complex. This indoor complex also opened in 2019 and is one of the finest volleyball-specific facilities in the country.