New Orleans Privateers (0-0) at Campus USA Credit Union Invitational
at No. 9 Florida (0-0) • Friday, Aug. 30, 2013 • 11 a.m. CST • Live Stats • Live Video • Live Audio
vs. Duke (TBD) • Friday, Aug. 30, 2013 • 4:30 p.m. CST • Live Stats
vs. LIU-Brooklyn (TBD) • Saturday, Sept. 1, 2013 • 12:30 p.m. CST • Live Stats
Note: All three matches will have live stats through GatorZone.com with live video also available for the match against Florida.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The New Orleans Privateer volleyball team will face its toughest set of opponents of the season from the opening serve as the squad participates in the Campus USA Credit Union Invitational this weekend.
UNO will open the tournament against host Florida on Friday at 11 a.m. (Central) before facing Duke at 4:30 p.m. that afternoon. The two-day competition comes to an end for the Privateers on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in a match against LIU-Brooklyn.
"One thing about our team is that they are extremely scrappy, they work extremely hard and they are so excited and ready to get started," said head coach Kim Young-Buford, who enters her fourth season at the helm of the UNO program. "This weekend will be a true test of how we compare and how the rest of our season is going to go."
"I truly think that even though this is a strong tournament, we are ready and that we will have that scrappy, competitive mentality where we are going to work and fight for every single point."
The 2013 season will represent one of change for the Privateers, who posted an 8-15 record in 2012 as an NCAA Division I Independent.
As Young-Buford prepares to lead UNO into its first season as a Southland Conference member, her squad will be armed with eight talented newcomers to go along with six returnees.
Of the eight newcomers, four have collegiate playing experience including
Alyssa Podwell, who earned Great West Conference 'Newcomer of the Year' honors for Chicago State last season. The other three seasoned players are junior college transfers
Ashley Everett (Laredo CC),
Kelsea Hundtoft (College of the Canyons) and
Celeste Ramirez (Blinn JC).
Young-Buford will look to the leadership of co-captains
Ariane Labrzycki and
Marti Richmiller to help mold the team as it comes together in the weeks ahead of Southland play.
A setter, Labrzycki averaged 7.89 assists per set after missing the first 11 games of the 2012 campaign due to injury. Labryzcki provided a spark on the floor and totaled at least 30 assists on four occasions last season, including 38 at Southern.
Richmiller ranked fourth on the 2012 team with 2.03 kills per set. One of four players to average at least two kills a frame last season, the outside hitter was a constant threat offensively, putting forth 514 attack attempts – second most on the roster.
This weekend's challenge begins with a Florida team that will serve as the Privateers' first top 10 opponent since the squad faced then-No. 8 Washington on Sept. 15, 2007.
The Gators finished the 2012 season with a 27-5 record and an appearance in the 'Sweet 16' of the NCAA Tournament. One of two Southeastern Conference teams ranked in the top 25 to begin the year, Florida received 12 of 13 first-place votes to be tabbed as preseason league favorites.
Senior middle blocker Chloe Mann and sophomore outside hitter Ziva Recek are preseason All-SEC selections for the Gators. A First-Team All-American in 2012, Mann led the NCAA with a .444 hitting percentage while topping also totaling 380 kills and 1.15 blocks per set. Recek was tabbed National Freshman of the Year by the AVCA following a campaign in which she led Florida with 440 kills and 4.0 kills per frame.
Duke is picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference after producing a 15-17 record in 2012.
The Blue Devils are led by senior libero Ali McCurdy and sophomore outside hitter Emily Sklar, who were both named to the preseason All-ACC team. A two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year, McCurdy tallied 672 digs last season while Sklar finished the 2012 campaign with 319 kills, 235 digs, 35 blocks and 23 service aces as a freshman.
Defending Northeast Conference champion LIU-Brooklyn rounds out the field. The Blackbirds have advanced to the NEC championship match nine of the last 10 years, producing seven league titles in the process.
A 25-8 team a year ago, LIU-Brooklyn returns the bulk of their squad including NEC 'Player of the Year' Annika Foit, NEC 'Setter of the Year' Vera Djuric and NEC 'Libero of the Year' Adriana Vinas Joy. All-NEC first-team honorees Tamara Ignjic and Jessica Rice also return to bolster head coach Kyle Robinson's roster.
Following this weekend's action, UNO will head to Southern Miss for a match at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night. The Privateers will then compete in a tournament at Louisiana Tech next weekend before opening the home slate on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Human Performance Center against Tulane.
Campus USA Credit Union Invitational Schedule (all times Central)
Friday, Aug. 30, 2013
9 a.m. - Duke vs LIU-Brooklyn
11 a.m. - NEW ORLEANS vs Florida
4:30 p.m. - NEW ORLEANS vs Duke
6:30 p.m. - Florida vs LIU-Brooklyn
Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013
12:30 p.m. - NEW ORLEANS vs LIU-Brooklyn
3 p.m. - Florida vs Duke
