The Alabama State University volleyball team are prepared and ready to get started as they take the court for a home season opener during the ISTAP Collegiate Cup Invitational in the Dunn Oliver Acadome on Friday August 26.  The Lady Hornets will take the floor at 12:30 against the North Carolina A&T Aggies.
 
The actual event will begin at 10 a.m. and hosted in both Lockhart and the Acadome.  The invite features six teams from both the SWAC and MEAC conferences; host team Alabama State (SWAC) Jackson State (SWAC), Alabama A&M (SWAC), Texas Southern (SWAC), North Carolina A&T (MEAC), and University of Maryland Eastern Shore (MEAC).  Tennessee State (Ohio Valley Conference) and Towson (Colonial Athletic Association) are the other teams participating.
 
Even with new faces, Coach Penny Lucas White feels her team is prepared.
 
"I feel as though we are prepared and I don't know what else to prepare for.  I think that the girls are excited to play and we had a great preseason.  I think that we are ready."
 
The team will expect to have a lot of competitive action when they face Maryland Eastern Shores, North Carolina A&T, Towson and Tennessee State.
 
"I think that there will be a lot of competitive games this weekend," Lucas White said.  "I think Towson will come in really strong and Tennessee State will be a really tough match.  I am not really sure about UMES and we played NCAT a couple years ago and went five sets with them.  It will be a lot of good competition for us there will be a lot of parity."
 
Lucas White and her team are excited about starting their 2016 season.
 
"I am really excited, but yet we have a lot of new players with different skill sets and I am really excited to see how they will react with each other on the court."