University of Houston Athletics
Volleyball Preps for Season Opener
8/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 26, 2010
HOUSTON - The University of Houston volleyball team will kick off the 2010 season this weekend, Aug. 27-28, when they travel to Austin, Texas for the Burnt Orange Classic.
The Cougars take to the court for the first time this season on Friday against TCU at noon, followed by a 4 p.m. match against McNeese State. The tournament concludes on Saturday when UH faces off against tournament host, Texas, at 6:30 p.m.
Fans can follow all games of the tournament by clicking on the Gametracker link on the volleyball schedule page. A complete wrap-up of each day's events will also be available at UHCougars.com.
Houston's opening match of the tournament is against the Horned Frogs. UH is 7-1 in the all-time series, including a 3-0 win at the Athletics/Alumni Center in 2008 in the programs' last meeting.
The afternoon contest against McNeese State on Friday will mark just the fourth time that the two teams have meet on the volleyball court. Houston is 3-0 in those matches.
The Cougars close out the weekend against the Longhorns. Texas holds a 42-16 lead in the all-time series, having won the last meeting 3-0 in Austin in 2008.
The start of the season begins a new era in UH volleyball history. Head coach Molly Alvey will lead her team for the first time after being named the fifth head coach in program history on Jan. 25, 2010. In addition, there are also six newcomers that will be seeing their first action in a Cougar uniform this weekend.
Expected to lead the group are seniors Amanda Carson and Marluci Toazzi. Carson led the team last season with 481 digs. Her career total of 1,342 career digs rank fifth in the UH career record books. Toazzi finished her first season at UH in 2009, after transferring from Arizona Western College, with 144 digs and 242 digs.
Following the weekend on the road, Houston will prepare for the 2010 home opener on Sept. 3. Houston will play host to the Houston Invitational, welcoming Florida State, Oklahoma and Tennessee to the Athletics/Alumni Center.
