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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Belt and Ball Join Rebel Nation for RebTalk
9/14/2017 | Women's Golf
OXFORD, Miss. - Assistant coach Drew Belt and freshman Conner Beth Ball joined Rebel Nation for dinner Tuesday night.
Belt and Ball sat down with the red-and-blue-clad Rebel fans at Bouré on the Oxford Square and caught up with David Kellum on this week's RebTalk. The trio talked recruiting and how Belt and head coach Kory Henkes snagged the No. 1 prospect in Mississippi out of a Mississippi State family.
"We were really lucky to get Conner Beth, Julia Johnson and Macy Holliday, our three freshmen, in here. They're just awesome," Belt said. "Recruiting is always a little bit of luck and a little bit of hard work. When we first got here, we set out to get the best player in Mississippi. That was the first thing on our to-do list."
It wasn't easy for the new Ole Miss coaches to check that first objective-especially given the Jackson Academy product's upbringing.
"My recruiting process was so much fun," Ball said. "I didn't commit until my junior year, which is pretty late for golfers nowadays. I definitely waited for the best. It was Coach Drew and Coach Kory's first year here, and as soon as I came up here on a visit with them, I told my Bulldog parents, 'I'm sorry y'all, but I'm a Hotty Toddy girl!'"
The crowd at Bouré erupted in cheers after that line by the Madison native. In just a few weeks, she'll represent her state at the Magnolia Invitational, which Ole Miss will co-host along with MSU at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point from Oct. 1-3.
"I'm thrilled to have a tournament at West Point at Old Waverly, one of the best golf courses in the state of Mississippi. As a Mississippi girl, it's exciting to get to play at home," Ball said. "I grew up playing out at Old Waverly."
Before that, the Rebels will head back to South Carolina, this time to Greenville for the Lady Paladin Invitational. Ole Miss will take on another rival in that tournament, as LSU will join the Rebels at Furman University Golf Club from Sept. 22-24.
Kellum hosts RebTalk every Tuesday from 7-8 p.m. CT live from Bouré and on the Ole Miss IMG Sports Network.
For all Ole Miss women's golf news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWGolf and Facebook at Ole Miss Women's Golf.
