By Layne Weitzel, TTU Sports Information
DAYTON, Ohio – Tennessee Tech volleyball returns to Ohio this weekend for the Holiday Inn Invitational, its third of four nonconference tournaments to begin the 2017 season.
Unlike its previous two tournaments, the Golden Eagles (2-4) kick off the invitational with a double-header on Friday and a single match Saturday. Tech faces West Virginia at 10 a.m. CT and host Wright State at 7 p.m. CT Friday. A match-up with Harvard at noon CT on Saturday closes Tech's run at the tournament.
"I think the double-header is never an issue when we have this much time between them," said head coach Dave Zelenock. "The last two weeks, we've had to do those fairly quick turnarounds. It's hard because our kids get conditioned one practice a day, one match a day, and we throw two at them and they only get an hour break.
"The teams are all dramatically different. West Virginia is easily the biggest, most physical team there, but then you've got Wright State, who plays pretty quick and has a lot of ball control and really good defenders.
"There's not a ton of data on (Harvard). I think they're still trying to figure out who's going where. They've ran a different lineup every single match. It's early for all of us, but for them, it's even earlier. Hopefully we can figure them out before they figure themselves out."
Tech has never faced Harvard but holds a 2-3 record against Wright State and a 1-2 record vs. West Virginia. Tech last played West Virginia in 2004, defeating the Mountaineers in five sets.
A LOOK AT THE HOLIDAY INN INVITATIONAL PARTICIPANTS
Harvard Crimson (0-3)
- 2016 overall record: 9-14
- 2016 conference (Ivy League) record: 7-7
- Predicted 2017 Ivy League finish: --
West Virginia Mountaineers (4-2)
- 2016 overall record: 12-18
- 2016 conference (Big 12) record: 7-8
- Predicted 2017 conference finish: 6th/9 teams
- Sophomore outside hitter Payton Caffrey received a spot on the 2017 Preseason All-Big 12 team and was an All-Big 12 First Team selection as a freshman in 2016. She also was named the 2016 AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year.
Wright State Raiders (2-5)
- 2016 overall record: 9-20
- 2016 conference (Horizon League) record: 4-12
- Predicted 2017 Horizon League finish: 8th/9 teams
