GEORGETOWN, Texas – A tradition of excellence has been established in the Southwestern University volleyball program and this season should be no exception as the Pirates hit the court for the start of the 2010 season. With a preseason ranking of #16 nationally, SU will put their reputation and tenacious play to the test as they face nine of the teams named in the preseason AVCA Division III Top 25 throughout the year (Emory #3, Colorado #5, Trinity #12, Christopher Newport #15, Eastern #18, UT-Dallas #20, Puget Sound #25, DePauw RV, Austin RV) and will face Maryville (TN) who earned a bid to the NCAA tournament last year.
Southwestern comes into the 2010 season as the reigning Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) champions after going 35-4 including an SU record 30 match win streak. Despite having just one senior on the team they are a very experienced group. "Our veteran leadership will pace our offense," states Head Coach and South Region Coach of the Year 2009 Hannah Long. "They are who we will look towards to defend our SCAC title."
Among the returners are juniors, setter Christina Nicholls and middle blocker Lindsay Thompson, who were SCAC First Team All-Conference, AVCA All-South Region First Team, and AVCA All-American Honorable Mention selections. Nicholls started all 39 matches last season and was instrumental in the diverse offensive attack of the Pirates, recording 1428 assists at 10.5 per set, with just 45 ball handling errors. She recorded 33 aces on the year and was second on the team in digs with 393. Thompson was a consistently effective attacker for SU in 2010, playing all 39 matches and led in kill percentage at .338. She recorded 393 kills at just over three per set, both second on the team.
Also returning for the Pirates is senior Lauren Brown who missed the 2009 season thanks to an early injury. In 2008, Brown was third on the team in kills/set with 2.68 and second with a .279 kill percentage and will add another strong hitter to the front row.
Southwestern welcomes one of the largest newcomer classes to the mix to make this one of the deepest teams the Pirates have put on the court. "We brought in a lot of talented players who will see playing time in their first season with our team," notes Coach Long.
The 2010 season looks bright for the Pirates and the buzz surrounding the team in palpable, and deservedly so. This year's schedule will give fans an opportunity to see the Pirates in action at home more times than in previous years as they have 13 home matches including the season opener on September 1 against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor at 4:00 pm and Schreiner University at 8:00 pm.