MATCH 1: SBU BEARCATS (12-24 in 2009)
vs MONTEVALLO FALCONS (20-14)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 • 2:00 PM EDT
M2: SBU at FLORIDA SOUTHERN MOCCASINS (14-18)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 • 7:00 PM EDT
M3: SBU vs ANGELO STATE RAMBELLES (19-14)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 • 11:00 AM EDT
M4: SBU vs MISSOURI S&T MINERS (10-27)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 • 3:00 PM EDT

ALL MATCHES IN LAKELAND, FLORIDA
JENKINS FIELDHOUSE (2,500) AT FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE CLASSIC

GAME NOTES: SBU | UM | FSC | ASU | S&T

2010 SBU SEASON OUTLOOK

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LAKELAND, Fla. -- The 2010 SBU volleyball season kicks off this week, as the Bearcats travel to Lakeland, Fla., for the Florida Southern Classic. The 'Cats will play four matches in two days against the Montevallo Falcons, Florida Southern Mocs, Angelo State Rambelles, and Missouri S&T Lady Miners.

The Bearcats return four starters from last seasons' 12-win season, including the team's leading setter (Brianna Wallace, 9.22 assists per game), and leader in kills and blocks (Ashley Jurgensmeyer, 2.86 kills per game). Other returners include Marcy Greenwade (350 digs, 2.67/game), Joanna Granzow (170 kills, 92 blocks), Kylie Heim (210 kills, 1.63/game), and Iceley Perry (0.8 digs/game, .955 serve pct.).

Several new faces will look to make an impact in their first matches as Bearcats, including freshmen Jenna Isaacs, a middle/outside hitter from Miami, Fla., and Britni Reed, an outside hitter from Grimes, Iowa. This past summer, Reed helped her club team to a national runner-up finish at the 2010 USA Volleyball Junior National Championships. Coffeyville juco transfer Alyx Glover will also see action as a libero/defensive specialist.

After last season's 12 wins and the 13 victories in 2008, the Bearcats have enjoyed the most victories in a two-year span since 1998-99. Last season, head coach Kelly Richardson passed former SBU volleyball coach Stephanie Miller for the most MIAA wins in school history, with 12.

THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Bearcat head coach Kelly Richardson enters her fourth season, and looks to further improve a program that has won more games over the past two seasons than from 2002-2007 combined. Over her first three years, Richardson has seen six players earn All-MIAA honors, and has recorded a career mark of 33-68.

Katie O'Brien will begin her third season as head coach of the Montevallo Falcons, where she has a record of 41-32. Starting her tenth year as head coach at Florida Southern, Jill Stephens, earned her 200th victory last season and has posted a career record of 211-102. Chuck Waddington will get his fourth season as head coach of the Angelo State Rambelles underway with a record of 39-14. Missouri S&T head coach Jason Holt has been on the Lady Miners' bench since the program's inception in 2007.

None of the teams the Bearcats will face have seen SBU often. The 'Cats hold a 2-1 all-time record against Angelo State, and a 2-0 mark against Missouri S&T. The lone matchup against Montevallo came in 2006, and was a five-set loss. The match against Florida Southern will be the first meeting between the two sides.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Montevallo's Anna Garrison returns after leading the Peach Belt Conference with 10.46 assists per set, and earning all-conference honors. Starting libero Brittany Wilson also returns after leading the team in digs (527), fourth-most in the Peach Belt.

Florida Southern brings back four starters from the 2009 season (Anne Pietkiewicz, Kelly Sherman, Lauren Huber, and Anna Niebuhr), as well as senior Ashley Martin, who earned All-American honors before missing the previous two seasons to injury.

Angelo State brings back a pair of sophomores in Chelsea Gibson and Caroline Cleveland. Gibson was second for the Rambelles in kills (2.9 per set), while Cleveland was second in digs (2.51 per set).

Two of the three leaders in kills last season return for Missouri S&T, in junior Erin Bekebrede and senior Samantha Klump. Both hitters averaged over two kills a set in 2009, while Klump also recorded 143 total blocks.