North Carolina State University Athletics
Volleyball Opens Season Friday
8/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 25, 2011
2011 NC State volleyball yearbook
2010 results
Appalachian Invitational Tournament Central
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State opens the 2011 volleyball season this weekend at the Appalachian Invitational Tournament in Boone, N.C., beginning with a 7 p.m. match Friday against the host Mountaineers.
The Wolfpack, which finished with a 14-16 record last season, will play two additional matches Saturday, at 10 a.m. against Charlotte and at 4:30 p.m. against Kennesaw State.
Second-year Wolfpack coach Bryan Bunn believes this will be a more challenging test than last year's opening tournament, which featured 3-0 victories over Eastern Kentucky, Coppin State and Western Carolina. All three of this weekend's opponents were ranked in the top 150 on the college volleyball RPI.
"I think this will be a very good weekend for us," Bunn said. "These are more competitive teams than we played to start the year last season. It's a bigger challenge for us, especially with so many new people."
Bunn has 10 newcomers on his 19-player roster and a total of 17 players who are in their first or second year in the program. Last year's team had the school's best overall and conference records in more than a decade, but Bunn believes his team can continue to improve against stiffer competition.
"We have to step up our level of play so we can be more competitive in the ACC," the coach said. "So we need to be playing more competitive teams outside the conference. Slowly, every year, our schedule will be a little tougher. We're not going to jump the Grand Canyon the first year.
"We'll take it a step at a time."
Bunn is still looking to set his lineup, especially at outside hitter. He believes this weekend will give him plenty of opportunity to use multiple combinations and find a more definitive lineup when the Wolfpack makes its home debut next weekend by hosting four other teams in a two-day tournament at Reynolds Coliseum.
"We want to see good ball control on our side of the net and we want to see good serving," Bunn said. "Mainly, we are looking to make sure we have good overall timing on the court."
All games this weekend will be broadcast live via this link on GoASU.com, the official athletics site for Appalachian State.
Total cost for the weekend games is $6. Fans can also follow each game via live stats from the same link.
