Team to co-host tournament with Georgia State
by Jason Hanes
7/14/2009 2:15:51 PM
KENNESAW, Ga. - Entering its first year as a fully certified Division I team, the Kennesaw State volleyball team announced its schedule for the 2009 season. The Owls, led by new head coach Karen Weatherington, will host a tournament for the second straight year on their home court, this time as co-hosts with Georgia State.
"The 2009 season will be a season with lots of firsts," said Coach Weatherington. "This is be the first full cycle of recruited players to graduate in four years, it will be my first group of alums as a head coach and it will be the Owls first true Division I season."
The Owls will open the campaign at the Toledo Rocket Challenge, hosted by the University of Toledo. The Owls, host Rockets, Bryant, and Marist College will all take part in the tournament.
The following weekend, KSU, along with co-host Georgia State, will host the Great 8 Volleyball Challenge Presented by Residence Inn Kennesaw. Matches will take place at both the KSU Convocation Center and the GSU Sports Arena. Teams will move back-and-forth to different sites depending on their result in the first day of the event. On Sept. 4, the KSU Convocation Center will host a 5 p.m. match between Nicholls State and Rider, with KSU hosting its home opener at 7:30 p.m. against Alabama A&M. At the GSU Sports Arena, the host Panthers will take on North Carolina A&T at 5 p.m., while Presbyterian will square off against Louisiana-Monroe at 7:30 p.m. The tournament will contintue on Saturday at both sites.
Atlantic Sun Conference play will begin on September 8 for the Owls as KSU hosts in-state rival Mercer. After a quick trip to USC Upstate September 12, KSU will host a three-match homestand featuring East Tennessee State, Campbell, and Georgia State, beginning September 18.
The weekend of September 25, the Owls will make their annual trip to Nashville for contests against Belmont and Lipscomb. The following weekend, KSU welcomes its A-Sun neighbors from Jacksonville, Fla., as North Florida and JU visit the Convocation Center.
The longest stretch of matches away from the Convocation Center for the Owls is three. After the first weekend of the season at the Toledo Rocket Challenge, KSU will have two more three-match road trips. October 8 and 10, the Owls will be in Florida to battle Stetson in DeLand and Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Myers. On the 13th of October, the Owls will start the second half of conference play when they head to Mercer.
After a quick two-match homestand against Belmont and Lipscomb the weekend of October 16, the Owls will have their final three-match road trip of the season as they travel to Campbell and East Tennessee State on October 23 and 24, then on October 28, will travel to face Tennessee-Chattanooga.
The Owls close the regular season with a three-match homestand against USC Upstate, Florida Gulf Coast, and Stetson. The Owls host Upstate on October 30 and then will battle FGCU and Stetson on November 6 and 7.
The goal of the season is for the Owls to finish in the top six of the A-Sun in the regular season. If they are able to do that, the program will qualify for the A-Sun Tournament in its first year of eligibility. The tournament will take place November 19-21 in Ft. Myers, Fla.