Spartans open 2019 Season at Bob Martinez Athletics Center
TAMPA, Fla. – The top-ranked University of Tampa Women's Volleyball team is ready to begin their 2019 season as they host the Courtyard by Marriott-Terrace Hotel Classic. Joining Tampa in the tournament will be Valdosta State University, University of Central Missouri, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and Concordia University, St. Paul.
The tournament begins on Thursday, as Valdosta State squares off against Central Missouri at 7:00 p.m. and concludes Saturday night as Tampa duels against Concordia, St. Paul in a battle of top-five teams.
The Concordia University, St. Paul Golden Bears enter the season as the fifth-ranked team in the nation. The Golden Bears were picked to finish second in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Last season, CSP finished the year with a record of 24-9 and advanced to the NCAA Central Region Championship game.
The University of Central Missouri Jennies head into the 2019 season as the 17th ranked team in the nation, according to the AVCA preseason top-25 poll. UCM concluded the 2018 season with a 25-8 record and included a trip to the NCAA Central Region Tournament.
The Valdosta State University Blazers enter the 2019 season being picked sixth in the Gulf South Conference (GSC) preseason poll. The Blazers ended the 2018 season with an overall record of 15-18 and fell to Montevallo in the opening round of the GSC tournament.
The Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks enter the tournament after being selected to finish fourth in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PSAC) Southwest Division. IUP concluded the 2018 season with a record of 7-24.
UT will face IUP on Friday at 1:00 p.m. and then face 17th ranked UCM at 7:30 p.m. The Spartans will conclude the opening weekend on Saturday, as they face the Blazers at 3:00 p.m. and then the fifth-ranked Golden Bears at 7:30 p.m.
Tampa is returning a pair of All-Americans from last year. Junior Katie McKiel, was named to the first-team, while junior Sorrel Houghton was named to the second-team. McKiel and Houghton led the Spartans offensive attack, which led the Sunshine State Conference in kills last year, as McKiel recorded 523 kills and Houghton ended the year with 489. Both players were also selected to first-team All SSC.
Also returning for the Spartans will be setter senior Sammy Mueller. During her junior campaign, Mueller was named the NCAA Championships Most Outstanding Player. Mueller was selected to the SSC second-team last season and earned setter of the week honors. She logged a total of 1,416 and averaged 10.26 assists per set, which ranked fourth in the conference.
Fans may follow live stats for each game through TampaStats.com and live video will be available for all games at TampaSpartans.tv.