MONTGOMERY, Ala. | The defending Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) champion Alabama State University volleyball team opens the 2017 campaign at home against Savannah State Friday night.
"I think the girls have had a good preseason," Alabama State head coach
Penny Lucas-White said. "We are running out of things to work on and we need to be tested so we can see where we really are, and I am excited about that. For this team it is good to be home to start at a place where you are comfortable with the court, your surroundings and having family members here to support them is always good."
The Lady Hornets and Savannah State will play in the second match of the night at 7 pm inside Lockhart Gymnasium, while they will also play North Carolina A&T Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm.
Alabama State and Savannah State have met six times since 2012, with the Lady Hornets grabbing all six matches. The Lady Hornets won the last meeting in straight sets over Savannah State at the ISTAP Collegiate Cup Invitational.
"Savannah State looks like they have a brand new team," White said. "They only have four returners, so it's really hard to know what to look for. I know he has a plethora of international kids so it is going to be a good test for us, going into the unknown."
Meanwhile, the Lady Hornets own a 2-1 series advantage over North Carolina A&T since 2012, including a thrilling five-set victory in last year's season opener inside Lockhart. The Lady Hornets have won the last two meetings between the two schools.
"North Carolina A&T didn't lose a lot of players," White said. "I kind of know what to expect from them. However, we went five sets with them last year and they have a big gun on the outside that we have to be prepared for. Overall I just think we need to play, and I am excited about getting the opportunity to play."
Alabama State was picked to win the conference title again, and had five selections to the preseason team including the Offensive Preseason Player of the Year in
Briana Dorsey. She was joined on the preseason team by
Bayle' Bennett,
Ni'yesha Brown,
Justus Tuiolosega and
Krysta Medearis (second team).
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