The SMU Mustang volleyball team is primed and ready for the start of the season, and they’re traveling to Denton to participate in the Mean Green Invitational on Aug. 28-29.
The Mustangs will start off at on Friday against Northern Colorado and then play New Mexico State at the same day. And on Saturday, the team will face the University of Texas at San Antonio at to end the tournament.
Lisa Seifert, head coach of the women’s volleyball team, has high expectations of her players. The team is returning six starters, including four sophomores who started last year as freshmen.
“I would say, without hesitation, that we are going to be a better volleyball team than we were last year,” Seifert said on Smumustangs.com. “We’re a little bit older and the core of this team, the four freshmen that started last year, they’re not going to be freshmen this year.”
This year’s offense will be led by outside hitters sophomore Dana Powell and junior Kathryn Wilkerson, as well as setter sophomore Kelli Becerra. Middle blocker senior Kendra Kahanek will anchor the front line and sophomore Sidney Stewart will help defend the back.
“We’ve been working very hard, and I feel like we have a good product to put on the floor,” Seifert said. “I am very excited about the upcoming season, and I know our players are ready to compete.”
To prepare for the upcoming tournament Seifert pitched her players against each other in an intrasquad scrimmage on Thursday, Aug. 20.
“There are still several adjustments that we need to make in the next week, but we are making strides in the right direction,” Seifert said. “I wasn’t happy with how we started but this is why we work in the preseason.”
The volleyball team is excited and ready to take their game to the next level. Seifert hopes that the student body will come out and helps support the team whenever they’re at home.
“I really want the student population to know is that volleyball is a very exciting, fun sport to watch,” said Seifert. “A lot of people like watching high intensity sports and volleyball is a very intense sport. These guys are high flying and very dynamic.”
