Women's Volleyball | 8/30/2019 11:00:00 AM

Lady Braves Prepare To Open Season At Owl Invitational

LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University volleyball program commences the 2019 regular season on Saturday when it travels to Columbus, Mississippi to face Talladega College and host school Mississippi University for Women.

The Lady Braves were projected to place ninth in the SWAC Preseason Poll, will welcome back five starters and 16 players from last season's team. Coach Robinson has three Preseason All-SWAC performers at her disposal as junior defensive specialist/libero Fiapaipai Iosia, senior setter Barbara Grubisic Cabo and sophomore outside hitter Sydney Joseph return to lead the charge.

Iosia was last season's Team MVP and made the All-SWAC First Team after leading the team in digs (359) and digs per set (3.29) while finishing last season third in the NCAA with 72 service aces and 0.66 aces per set.

Cabo, who made All-SWAC Second Team placed inside the top-50 nationally with 0.39 aces per set last season, was third in the SWAC for total aces (37), sixth in the conference for assists per set (5.57) and was tops among the Lady Braves in both assists (524) and attack percentage (.267).

A late addition to the All-SWAC Second Team, Joseph was named Alcorn's Freshman of the Year in 2018, pacing the purple and gold with 244 kills while smacking 2.53 kills per set.

"We're excited for opening weekend," said head coach Melissa Robinson.  "The team has been working hard this preseason and this is an opportunity for us to showcase where we are as a team."
 
Scouting the Talladega Tornadoes (August 31 at 2 p.m.)
The Tornadoes are coming off a 15-16 campaign while going 6-9 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. Talladega College brings back their top server and setter in Bethany Holland who was top-50 in the NAIA Division I with 0.45 aces per set while leading the club with 7.0 assists per set. Talladega also returns Reanna Burroughs (2.2 kills per set) and Tamera Prince (2.6 digs per set) to the mix.

The Lady Braves lead the all-time series (1-0) with its only meeting being a three-set sweep in Lorman last October.
 
Scouting the MUW Owls (August 31 at 4 p.m.)
The Owls are a USCAA program and compiled a record of 4-23 in 2018. MUW is returning all of its statistical leaders from a year ago as Madison Lamon led the team in aces (29 / 0.35 per set) and assists (270 / 3.25 per set), Haley McMurphey was the squad's top attacker (134 kills / 1.6 per set), Sadie Mitchell paced the club in digs (208 / 2.6 per set) and Tori Weir was the top blocker (37 / 0.45 per set).

This will be the first ever meeting between the Owls and the Lady Braves.
 
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