University of Tennessee Athletics
Volleyball set to begin spring schedule
March 28, 2008 | Volleyball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ??? The University of Tennessee volleyball team is set to open a strong spring schedule as it begins to prepare for the 2008 season. The Lady Vols will compete in three tournaments over the next three weeks with trips to Miami (Ohio), North Carolina and Florida.
UT will begin play this Saturday when it travels to Oxford, Ohio, to compete against host school Miami (Ohio), Bowling Green and Cleveland State. The Big Orange will open the tournament at 10:30 a.m. against the Falcons before finishing the afternoon against the Red Hawks at 1:30 p.m. and the Vikings at 3:30 p.m.
The following weekend, Tennessee will make the trip to Chapel Hill, N.C., where it will take on the Tar Heels after a morning bout against a team from USA Volleyball which features former players from such teams as UCLA, Indiana and UNC.
On April 12, the Lady Vols will take part in the initial Southeastern Conference Beach Volleyball Championships in Gainesville, Fla. Each of the 11 volleyball teams in the SEC have signed on to compete at the event, which will be free and open to the public. Schools will send three teams of two to the tournament, each of which will engage in pool play for a chance to move on to the medal round. The competition will use rules derived from the AVP Tour, with modifications made as needed for collegiate competitors.
Competition will begin on Saturday morning with pool play, during which each team will play a minimum of four matches. The top two teams in each pool will play in the pool championship phase of the tournament for a spot in the medal round. The bronze medal match is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET, and the gold medal match is slated to commence at 6 p.m. ET.
Tennessee returns 10 players from its 2007 squad, including five starters. Leading the way will be last season???s SEC Freshman of the Year Nikki Fowler, who led the Big Orange with 370 kills, 1,081 total attacks, 3.27 kills per game, 449.0 points and 3.97 points per game.
| 2008 LADY VOL SPRING SCHEDULE | ||
| Date?? | Tournament?? | Location |
| March 29?? | Miami (Ohio) Tournament?? | Oxford, Ohio |
| Miami (Ohio) vs. Cleveland State | 10:30 a.m. | |
| Tennessee vs. Bowling Green | 10:30 a.m. | |
| Miami (Ohio) vs. Tennessee | 1:30 p.m. | |
| Cleveland State vs. Bowling Green | 1:30 p.m. | |
| Miami (Ohio) vs. Bowling Green | 3:30 p.m. | |
| Tennessee vs. Cleveland State | 3:30 p.m. | |
| April 5?? | North Carolina Tournament?? | Chapel Hill, N.C. |
| North Carolina vs. USAV Team | 8:00 a.m. | |
| Tennessee vs. USAV Team | 9:30 a.m. | |
| North Carolina vs. Tennessee | 1:45 p.m. | |
| April 12?? | SEC Beach VB Championships?? | Gainesville, Fla. |
| Pool Play | 8:30 a.m. | |
| Bronze Medal Match | 4 p.m. | |
| Gold Medal Match | 6 p.m. | |
