By Holly Weber, TTU Sports Information
Catamount Volleyball Classic Game Notes
COOKEVILLE, Tenn.—The time has come! The Tennessee Tech volleyball team suits up for the first time in the 2016 season at the Catamount Volleyball Classic on Friday-Saturday. The Golden Eagles kick off tournament play with a 3 p.m. contest versus Charleston Southern on Friday. The Purple and Gold squad will then round out match play on Saturday with a game versus UAB at 10 a.m., followed by a contest versus host Western Carolina at 6 p.m.
Charleston Southern
This will be the first time the Golden Eagles and Buccaneers have faced each other. Charleston Southern was selected seventh overall in the Big South Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Bucs enter their fourth season under the helm of Christy Mooberry, who led Charleston Southern to postseason play last season for the first time since 2012.
UAB
Tech will face UAB in their second match of the tournament. This will be the first time since 1991 that the Golden Eagles and Blazers have met. In their last meeting, UAB topped Tech 3-0 to extend their series lead to 9-4. The Blazers were selected 12th in the Conference USA preseason poll. UAB returns senior outside Gabby Deshotel to the roster. Last year, Deshotel led the Blazers in kills (504) and attacks (1,473).
Western Carolina
The Golden Eagles round out tournament play versus a familiar foe: the Catamounts. Tech and Western Carolina last met in the 2015 season at the Golden Eagle Invitational. The Golden Eagles topped the Catamounts on their home court 3-1. Former Tech standout, Cody Dodd led the Purple and Gold team posting 25 kills and 10 digs in the match, while Western Carolina's Jo-Leigh VerVelde tallied 25 assists and 15 digs in the contest. Western Carolina was ranked eighth in the Southern Conference preseason poll.
Tennessee Tech
The Golden Eagles will be a young team in the 2016 season, losing just one player and adding six freshmen to the roster. The Tech team returns key players Kellie Williams and Sharon Anderson to the lineup. Williams, a 2016 preseason All-OVC selection, had a solid 2015-year standing as the Golden Eagle's second lead attacker. On the 2015 season, Williams saw action in 113 sets over 30 matches. She tallied 328 kills, 52 digs, and 44 blocks on the year.
Senior Anderson, will also suit back up in the Purple and Gold for her fourth and final season as a Golden Eagle. Anderson returns to the roster with a solid junior season behind her. She saw 114 sets over 30 matches in the 2015-year, closing out the season with 1,087 assists, 307 digs, 27 blocks, and 28 service aces. Anderson picked up OVC Setter of the Week honors on two occasions last season, while also posting career-highs in assists (61) and digs (22).
Head coach Dave Zelenock returns to the helm of the Tech program for his fourth season with the Purple and Gold. In the 2014 season, Zelenock led his squad to a 15-19 overall and 9-7 OVC record, marking the first winning conference season since 2008. Zelenock welcomes six true freshmen to this year's roster including: Liz Bossong, Emily Brooks, Rachel Thomas, Abigail Duncan, Lexi Kingree, and Taylor Houck.
You can follow the Golden Eagles online on Facebook on the Tennessee Tech Women's Volleyball and TTU Sports pages, or on Twitter @TNTechVball and @TTUGoldenEagles.
Photo by Jim Dillon
