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Volleyball season opens with LWC Classic on Friday and Saturday

By David Gerhart

The Lindsey Wilson volleyball team begins their 2016 campaign as they host the Lindsey Wilson Classic on Friday and Saturday.

The two-day event is scheduled to be held at Biggers Sports Center (Court 1) and the Holloway Health and Wellness (Court 2).

Mid-South Conference members Cumberland (Tenn.) and Cumberlands (Ky.) are among the teams traveling to Columbia, Ky., this weekend. The remainder of the field includes: Bellevue (Neb.), Coastal Georgia, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.), Indiana East, Indiana Southeast and Northwestern Ohio.


Lindsey Wilson is slated to face Indiana Southeast and Bellevue on Friday at 2 p.m. CT and 6 p.m. CT, respectively. On Saturday, the Blue Raiders battle Indiana East and Coastal Georgia 10 a.m. CT and 2 p.m. CT, respectively. All Lindsey Wilson matches are scheduled to take place at Biggers Sports Center.

Last season, the Blue Raiders made their first appearance in the NAIA National Championship - Semifinals, before falling to eventual national champion, Columbia (Mo.). Lindsey Wilson swept the MSC regular season and tournament titles in 2015, while also reaching No. 1 in the national polls heading into the national tournament. The Blue Raiders ended last year with a record of 37-4. The 37 wins was a new program record for wins in a season.

The Blue Raiders return 2015 Second Team NAIA All-American, Makenzie Montano, who compiled 1,488 assists last season, which was ninth most in the nation. Montano also racked up 232 kills and 389 digs last year. Also returning for Lindsey Wilson is honorable mention All-American, Carolynne Silva. Silva led the team with 123 total blocks last year, while finishing third on the team with 260 kills.

Coming into the season, the Blue Raiders return nine players who appeared in matches last season, while adding nine players to the mix for this season.

Lindsey Wilson starts the season as the favorite to win the MSC championship after earning 48 points and six first-place votes in the conference preseason poll. In the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Blue Raiders are ranked third with 555 total points.

Indiana Southeast went 18-17 last season, while finishing tied for fifth in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - now named the River States Conference - with a record of 8-4. The Grenadiers were selected to finish second in the RSC West this season, behind only Indiana Kokomo.

Bellevue opens the season outside of the top 25 in the NAIA, but they are still receiving votes in the national poll. The Bruins were 22-17 last season and 3-3 in the North Star Athletic Association. In their conference poll, Bellevue is projected to finish third in the NSAA in 2016.

Indiana East finished second in the KIAC last season with a record of 10-2 in the conference. The Red Wolves compiled a 24-15 overall record a year ago. Indiana East was selected to finish second in the RSC East Division in 2016 as they earned 50 points, which trails only Point Park (Pa.).

Coastal Georgia won the Southern States Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles last season. The Mariners went 31-6 overall, while posting a conference mark of 15-1. Coastal Georgia advanced the final site of the 2015 NAIA National Championship, where they dropped their three pool play matches. Entering this season, the Mariners are receiving votes in the national poll, while being favored to win the SSAC crown in 2016.

The LWC Classic begins on Friday at noon CT with Cumberland against Indiana Southeast in Biggers Sports Center and Cumberlands battles Freed-Hardeman at the Holloway Health and Wellness Center. Day two of the classic starts at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday with Lindsey Wilson battling Indiana East in Biggers, while Freed-Hardeman takes on Indiana Southeast at the Health and Wellness Center.


This story was posted on 2016-08-19 08:43:41
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