MONTGOMERY, Ala.| Alabama State opens the 2019 campaign on the road, playing two matches in three days, in the Texas Rio Grande Valley tournament this week. The Lady Hornets open the season Thursday afternoon against Fairleigh Dickinson, before facing Texas Rio Grande Valley Saturday afternoon on their home turf.

The Lady Hornets look to improve on a semifinal finish in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament in 2018, after back-to-back championships the previous two seasons.

Jodie Smith returns to lead Alabama State on the bench and has five preseason All-Conference performers to help bolster the attack heading into the season.

TOURNAMENT AT A GLANCE
The tournament will feature three other teams from other regions of the country, playing a pair of matches each in three days. Along with the Lady Hornets is the host team, Texas Rio Grande Valley, along with Fairleigh Dickinson and Miami (Fla.).

The tournament starts Thursday with a pair of matches and will conclude with a pair of matches Saturday afternoon.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT – FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON
Fairleigh Dickinson finished 6-10-3 (4-3-1 NEC) last season and made the conference tournament as the fourth seed. The Burgundy and Blue fell to eventual champion Central Connecticut State in the semifinals of the conference tournament. They return a wealth of experience from 2018 with one graduate student, four seniors, eight juniors and seven sophomores of their 25 on the roster. They are led by head coach Eric Teepe in his sixth year.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT – TEXAS RIO GRANDE VALLEY
UTRGV returns three players who were named All-Conference last season in Kinga Szemik, Sarah Bonney and Emily Zapata. UTRGV also welcomes back the likes of senior Diana Ansah, junior and co-captain Matilyn Hepker, and sophomore Elina Seppala who missed a good portion of last season with an injury. They also welcome in eight newcomers for head coach Glad Bugariu.

RETURNING LEADERS – ALABAMA STATE
Alabama State has five All-Conference selections from a team last season that recorded five shutouts. The Lady Hornets scored 26 goals last season, using 18 assists to do so en route to reaching the conference semifinals. Teaggan Ilela returns as the team's leading scorer with four goals and five assists (13 total points), while Kayla Tillman added three goals and a pair of assists (eight total points). Also, Meaghan Fielding added a pair of goals and assists.

RETURNING LEADERS – FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON
The Burgundy and Blue have two all-conference performers back on this year's team in Stasi Torchia and Samantha Roff. Torchia logged the fourth most minutes on the team last season and controls the possession for Fairleigh Dickinson, while Roff leads the backline. They also return All-NEC Rookie honoree Madelyn Robbins who scored six points last season. Junior Viktorija Miseljic tallied 14 points to lead the team and was sixth in the conference.

RETURNING LEADERS – TEXAS RIO GRANDE VALLEY
Bonney and Zapata combined for 18 goals and 39 points last season with Szemik anchoring the defense with 72 saves. The team has played two exhibition matches thus far and tallied 10 goals combined (including a 9-0 victory over Houston-Victoria).

HOW TO WATCH / LIVE STATS
Alabama State vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (Thursday, August 22) – 4 pm
Live Stats

Alabama State at Texas Rio Grande Valley (Saturday, August 24) – 7 pm
Live Stats | Watch Live (WAC Digital Network)

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