EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana volleyball team opens the 2015 season Friday when it hosts the five-team Dunn Hospitality Invitational at the Physical Activities Center.
In addition to USI, the Dunn Hospitality Invitational features Kentucky Wesleyan College, Northwood University, Southwest Baptist University, and preseason No. 6 Wayne State College (Nebraska).
Matches will be played on the main court of the PAC Friday and Saturday at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. USI's matches will be at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. each day.
This weekend's Invitational marks the second straight season the Screaming Eagles have opened the year at the PAC. Last year's Dunn Hospitality Invitational featured 10 teams and two courts.
USI is coming off a 2014 season that saw it finish 19-11 overall and 9-9 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
Under the direction of 11th-year Head Coach
Leah Mercer '02, the Eagles return five starters and nine letter winners from last year's team.
That list includes senior middle blocker
Abbey Winter (Germantown, Illinois) and junior setter
Quin Shoultz (Columbus, Indiana).
Winter was an All-Midwest Region and All-GLVC honoree in 2013, while Shoultz finished sixth in the GLVC with 9.92 assists per set during her first year in a USI uniform last season.
USI, which is in search of its fourth trip to the NCAA II Midwest Region Tournament in the last six years and its first since 2013, plays Kentucky Wesleyan and Northwood Friday before taking on Wayne State and Southwest Baptist Saturday.
