Southland Volleyball Season Opens Friday

Southland Volleyball Season Opens Friday

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FRISCO, Texas - The road to Huntsville, Texas, the site of the 2010 Southland Conference Volleyball Tournament, begins Friday as league teams take to the hardwood in tournaments reaching from Long Island, New York to Laramie, Wyoming.

Texas State, the defending conference tournament champion and favorite in the preseason polls, will face Missouri State at 1 p.m. in the Hofstra University Classic in Long Island, New York. Winning four of the last six tournament crowns, the Bobcats return four starters including first-team all-conference selection, junior middle blocker Amber Calhoun and tournament MVP, senior outside hitter Mo Middleton. Coach Karen Chisum enters her 31st season with the Bobcats having amassed a league-best 697 career wins, 451 of which have come as a league member.

Central Arkansas will begin play in 2010 as a fully credited Division I university having completed its four-year transition from Division II and will be eligible to compete in the conference and NCAA tournaments. Led by 2009 Southland coach of the year Steven McRoberts, UCA is coming off its best season as a league member, posting a 27-3 overall record and swept the conference competition (16-0). Leading the Sugar Bears in defense of the school's first Southland Conference title in any sport is two-time league player of the year, senior right-side hitter Chloe Smith and libero of the year junior Cristin Curl. The Sugar Bears are scheduled to play Northern Arizona at noon in the University of Wyoming Invitational in Laramie, Wyoming.

Stephen F. Austin will tip off its season against Big 12 member Baylor University at 6:30 p.m. in Waco, Texas at the Baylor Classic. Coach Debbie Humphreys crossed the 500-win plateau in 2009 and has reached the conference tournament in each of her 23 seasons in Nacogdoches. The Ladyjacks return seven players including all-conference selection junior middle blocker M.C. Bottles from a squad that reached the tournament championship last season.

Lamar will be the first Southland program to hit the court in 2010 as the Lady Cardinals travel to Edinburg, Texas, to face Oral Roberts at 10 a.m. in the Texas-Pan American Tournament. Two years removed from their last league tournament title, Lamar returns eight players including freshman of the year middle blocker Wendy Krell and conference block leader sophomore Jayme Bazile (1.25) from a team that reached its fifth consecutive conference tournament.

McNeese State will enter the season under new leadership as coach Terry Gamble begins his first year at the helm in Lake Charles. McNeese returns 11 players, including sophomore outside hitter Priscilla Massengale, who was second on the team in kills (334) and team digs leader sophomore libero Whitney Ellisor (401), also ranked seventh in conference. The Cowgirls will open against Houston at the University of Texas tournament in Austin, Texas, at 4 p.m.

UT Arlington will begin the season as one of the youngest teams in the league returning only one senior on its 2010 roster. Leading the Mavs will be returning all-conference selections junior outside hitter Tara Frantz and junior middle blocker Emily Shearin. Coach Diane Seymour enters her seventh season in Arlington with four tournament appearances in the last six seasons and is on the verge of winning her 100th game with UTA. The Mavs open against the Miami Hurricanes in the Sooner Legends Invitational in Norman, Okla. at 5 p.m.

Sam Houston State is coming off its best overall record (20-14) since the 1996 squad went 25-15 on its way to a Southland tournament title. Coach Brenda Gray returns for her 27th season in Huntsville and 24th in the Southland and is one of three active coaches with more than 400 wins. Sam Houston returns three starters, including first-team all-conference selections junior outside hitter Carli Kolbe and sophomore libero Kaylee Hawkins. The Bearkats open at home in the SHSU/Comfort Suites Invitational against in-state rival Prairie View A&M at 2 p.m.

UTSA Coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff enters her ninth season in San Antonio and has led UTSA to seven consecutive tournament appearances. The Roadrunners return four starters including the top-two team kills leaders, senior outside hitter Kendra Rowland and sophomore outside hitter Whitney Walls. UTSA opens against Ole Miss at 4:30 p.m. in the Rice Nike Invitational in Houston, Texas.

Northwestern State will begin a new era as coach Hugh Hernesman begins his inaugural season in Natchitoches, La. Arguably the most experienced roster in the league with seven seniors, Northwestern returns five starters, including team digs leader senior Zanny Castillo. The Lady Demons will begin their 2010 campaign against in-state rival Louisiana Tech at the Arkansas State Classic in Jonesboro, Ark., at 10 a.m.

Nicholls new head coach TeAna Tramel begins her first season in Thibodaux, La., and inherits a Colonels team that has made consecutive conference tournament appearances for the first time in program history. Nicholls returns 10 players from last season including team blocks leader, sophomore middle blocker Jasmine Harris (105) and team digs leader junior libero Danielle Daigle (506), who ranked third overall in the conference. The Colonels will face Kennesaw State at 2:30 p.m. in the Southern Miss Invitational in Hattiesburg, Miss.

Under Coach Tony Graystone, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi compiled its highest win total (9-22) as a Southland member and return five players, including senior outside hitter Emma Ridley who led the conference in kills last season (464). The Islanders open against Montana at 10:30 a.m. in the Mississippi State Maroon Classic in Starkville, Miss.

Southeastern Louisiana returns from its first postseason appearance since 2002 and bring back three starters including junior setter Arianne Cruckshank, who ranked ninth in the league in assists per match (7.98) and senior libero Alex Greer, who ranked fifth in digs per set (4.14) and sixth overall (406). The Lady Lions begin play at the Jackson State Tournament against host Jackson State at 1 p.m. in Jackson, Miss.

The conference tournament will be held Nov. 19-21 and will be hosted by Sam Houston State at the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas. The championship match will be televised on the Southland Conference Television Network.