By: Holly Weber, Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn.—Tennessee Tech volleyball fans are invited to catch their first look at the Golden Eagles as they prepare for the upcoming season with their annual Purple vs. Gold Scrimmage in the Eblen Center on Saturday. The first serve is slated for 4 p.m. The volleyball scrimmage will be one of numerous activities taking place on campus during the Gathering of Eagles event on Saturday. Other happenings taking place will be a football scrimmage with a picnic in Tucker Stadium beginning at 12:30 p.m., Kid's Zone activities, a Women's Football Clinic, and more.
The Golden Eagles are projected to finish fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference this season. Senior, Cody Dodd, who was named to the Preseason All-OVC Volleyball Team, is expected to lead Tech again this year. During her 2014 season, Dodd collected 433 kills, 328 digs, 89 blocks, and 47 aces.
Another player to watch for this season is sophomore Kellie Williams. A 6-foot, outside hitter from Charlotte, N.C., Williams has been looking strong this preseason, according to head coach Dave Zelenock.
Joining Dodd and Williams as potential headliners will be freshman Susan Jeziorowski, who will be one of the Golden Eagles' setters this year.
"She's a really smart player," Zelenock said. "Things are starting to go very well for her."
Freshman, Jessica Oliver will be another player to keep an eye on throughout the 2015 season. Oliver was a setter in high school, but was recruited to play defense for Tech because of her natural athleticism and character. Even though she has only been acting as the team's defensive specialist for a week, Oliver has proven during preseason play that she is a remarkable athlete and promises to do exceptional things this year, Zelenock said.
In order to decide which players would be on the Purple and Gold teams, assistant coaches Cassandra Joyner and Danielle Gotham were put through an obstacle course to determine which would have the first round pick. Joyner won the challenge and the teams were selected. Each team has been practicing separately from each other to prepare for Saturday's match, and there has been no intermixing between the two squads in order to mimic a regular season contest. Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage promises to be a competitive one not only between the players, but the assistant coaches as well.
The volleyball regular season will officially get underway on Aug. 28-29, when the team travels to Dayton, Ohio, for the Wright State Invitational. Then on Sept. 18-19, the Golden Eagle Invitational presented by Hampton Inn will kick off Tech's home season featuring matches against Towson University, Western Carolina and Idaho.
All regular season home matches are free admission to the public.
