Friday, August 24
Morgantown, W.Va.
10:00 a.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Georgia Southern
Photo by: Steven Prunty
Mountaineers Open 2018 Season at Home
August 23, 2018 06:28 PM | Volleyball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In its fourth season under coach Reed Sunahara, the West Virginia University volleyball team opens its 2018 season at the WVU Invitational on Friday, Aug. 24, inside the WVU Coliseum, in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers, who are coming off a 21-win season and a National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) Semifinal appearance, will play host to Georgia Southern, UConn and Wright State at the two-day invitational.
"All of them are well coached, and Wright State has a new coach," Sunahara said. "All three teams are good challenges for us, and anyone can win. We have to play well and execute at a high level. We've been working hard all preseason, and we want to be out there playing against someone else.
"I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning. I want to see who will step up and who will compete hard. I want to see who will apply what we have been working on. I want to see what the chemistry is like. If we can put all that together then we are going in the right direction."
Friday's season-opener against the Eagles (10 a.m.) is Poster Giveaway Day, as the team will sign autographs following an evening tilt with the Huskies at 7 p.m. Youth players who attended WVU volleyball camps this year also are welcomed back for a Camper Reunion Night Friday evening. Additionally, WVU will give away jersey koozies to the first 250 fans in attendance.
On Saturday, the Mountaineers will wrap up the WVU Invitational with a canned food drive against Wright State at 3 p.m. Fans who bring a canned food item to donate to The Rack, WVU's student food bank, are eligible for a discounted ticket ($2).
Fans can purchase tickets by visiting WVUGAME.com, calling 1-800-WVUGAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located at the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. All tickets are general admission.
When purchasing online, tickets are $5 each and $3 for groups of 10 or more. At the WVU Coliseum ticket window, tickets will be $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups. The discounted online pricing will be available until first serve on game day. Fans are encouraged to order tickets in advance online at WVUGAME.com to avoid lines at the gate.
Tickets for WVU students are free with a valid student I.D.
The 2018 campaign marks the program's 44th season, as the squad is led by junior captains Gabrielle Cuckovich and Erin Slinde. West Virginia will begin its season inside the WVU Coliseum for the second straight year and is 309-229 at home all-time. The Mountaineers went 2-1 at the WVU Invitational last season, falling to No. 6 Penn State in a 3-0 match on Aug. 26.
West Virginia will square off against Georgia Southern for just the second time in program history Friday morning, as the Mountaineers captured a 3-0 victory over the Eagles in their first-ever meeting at the 2016 Penn State Classic. WVU will face former Big East foe UConn for the 20th time since 1981, as the Huskies hold a 17-3 lead in the all-time series. Of note, Friday evening's matchup vs. the Huskies marks the first meeting between the two squads since 2015. West Virginia also will meet Wright State for the second year in a row, as the Mountaineers are coming off a 3-1 win at the 2017 Wright State Tournament.
"I think we're all looking forward to seeing another team on the other side of the net," Sunahara said. "We've had a couple good weeks of practice where we were able to integrate the newcomers into the rotation. We need to keep looking forward and try to get one percent better every match. I'm looking forward to a great crowd and atmosphere in the Coliseum this weekend."
In addition to Slinde and Cuckovich, the Mountaineers bring eight veterans into the matchup, including juniors Katelyn Evans and Natania Levak, as well as six sophomores. Sunahara also welcomed nine newcomers to the 2018 roster (Ashleigh Barton, Keatan Broughton, Rhyenne Filisi, Abby Gibbons, Kristina Jordan, Kristin Lux, Macy McElhaney, Marielena Somoza and Lacey Zerwas).
Of note, to provide a safer environment for Mountaineer fans and to expedite entry into all ticketed WVU athletic events, the West Virginia Department of Intercollegiate Athletics enforces the NFL's Clear Bag Policy. The athletic department invites and encourages fans to visit WVUsports.com/clearbag for more information, to view pictures of permissible and non-permissible items and to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about the clear bag policy.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The Mountaineers, who are coming off a 21-win season and a National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) Semifinal appearance, will play host to Georgia Southern, UConn and Wright State at the two-day invitational.
"All of them are well coached, and Wright State has a new coach," Sunahara said. "All three teams are good challenges for us, and anyone can win. We have to play well and execute at a high level. We've been working hard all preseason, and we want to be out there playing against someone else.
"I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning. I want to see who will step up and who will compete hard. I want to see who will apply what we have been working on. I want to see what the chemistry is like. If we can put all that together then we are going in the right direction."
Friday's season-opener against the Eagles (10 a.m.) is Poster Giveaway Day, as the team will sign autographs following an evening tilt with the Huskies at 7 p.m. Youth players who attended WVU volleyball camps this year also are welcomed back for a Camper Reunion Night Friday evening. Additionally, WVU will give away jersey koozies to the first 250 fans in attendance.
On Saturday, the Mountaineers will wrap up the WVU Invitational with a canned food drive against Wright State at 3 p.m. Fans who bring a canned food item to donate to The Rack, WVU's student food bank, are eligible for a discounted ticket ($2).
Fans can purchase tickets by visiting WVUGAME.com, calling 1-800-WVUGAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located at the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. All tickets are general admission.
When purchasing online, tickets are $5 each and $3 for groups of 10 or more. At the WVU Coliseum ticket window, tickets will be $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups. The discounted online pricing will be available until first serve on game day. Fans are encouraged to order tickets in advance online at WVUGAME.com to avoid lines at the gate.
Tickets for WVU students are free with a valid student I.D.
The 2018 campaign marks the program's 44th season, as the squad is led by junior captains Gabrielle Cuckovich and Erin Slinde. West Virginia will begin its season inside the WVU Coliseum for the second straight year and is 309-229 at home all-time. The Mountaineers went 2-1 at the WVU Invitational last season, falling to No. 6 Penn State in a 3-0 match on Aug. 26.
West Virginia will square off against Georgia Southern for just the second time in program history Friday morning, as the Mountaineers captured a 3-0 victory over the Eagles in their first-ever meeting at the 2016 Penn State Classic. WVU will face former Big East foe UConn for the 20th time since 1981, as the Huskies hold a 17-3 lead in the all-time series. Of note, Friday evening's matchup vs. the Huskies marks the first meeting between the two squads since 2015. West Virginia also will meet Wright State for the second year in a row, as the Mountaineers are coming off a 3-1 win at the 2017 Wright State Tournament.
"I think we're all looking forward to seeing another team on the other side of the net," Sunahara said. "We've had a couple good weeks of practice where we were able to integrate the newcomers into the rotation. We need to keep looking forward and try to get one percent better every match. I'm looking forward to a great crowd and atmosphere in the Coliseum this weekend."
In addition to Slinde and Cuckovich, the Mountaineers bring eight veterans into the matchup, including juniors Katelyn Evans and Natania Levak, as well as six sophomores. Sunahara also welcomed nine newcomers to the 2018 roster (Ashleigh Barton, Keatan Broughton, Rhyenne Filisi, Abby Gibbons, Kristina Jordan, Kristin Lux, Macy McElhaney, Marielena Somoza and Lacey Zerwas).
Of note, to provide a safer environment for Mountaineer fans and to expedite entry into all ticketed WVU athletic events, the West Virginia Department of Intercollegiate Athletics enforces the NFL's Clear Bag Policy. The athletic department invites and encourages fans to visit WVUsports.com/clearbag for more information, to view pictures of permissible and non-permissible items and to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about the clear bag policy.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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OH/RS
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MB
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OH
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