By Layne Weitzel, TTU Sports Information
LIVE STATS (link will be used for each match)
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Tennessee Tech volleyball kicks off its 2017 slate Friday afternoon in North Carolina with the first of four-straight out-of-state tournaments.
The Hampton Inn Holly Springs Invitational features Tech, The Citadel, North Carolina Central and host school Campbell. Tech will be making the longest trek to Buies Creek, traveling about 471 miles for the tournament.
The Golden Eagles begin tournament play Friday at 3:30 p.m. CT with North Carolina Central and will play a double-header Saturday starting with The Citadel at 12:30 p.m. CT and Campbell at 4:30 p.m. CT.
Tech, predicted to finish 10th in the Ohio Valley Conference by a preseason league-wide vote, looks to match its 3-0 season start from 2016. This weekend's tournament will also help answer some questions for Tech at the setter and libero positions, as the team lost 2016 starting setter Sharon Anderson and libero Kennedy Wade to graduation.
Tech's lone meeting with Campbell came in 1995, which the Golden Eagles won in three sets. This weekend marks Tech's first match-up with both The Citadel and NC Central.
Campbell Lady Camels (0-0)
- 2016 overall record: 16-16
- 2016 conference (Big South) record: 10-6
- Predicted 2017 Big South finish: 4th/9 teams
The Citadel Bulldogs (0-0)
- 2016 overall record: 8-25
- 2016 conference (Southern) record: 1-15
- Predicted 2017 Southern finish: 9th/9 teams
- Senior outside hitter Moriah Smith earned a spot on the 2017 Preseason All-SoCon team and received All-SoCon second-team honors last season. She totaled the third-most kills in the conference with 469.
North Carolina Central Eagles (0-0)
- 2016 overall record: 6-17
- 2016 conference (MEAC) record: 5-5
- Predicted 2017 MEAC finish: 4th (in Southern Division)/6 teams
