Sept. 3, 2003
With a 3-0 record in its pocket, the 12th-ranked Georgia Tech volleyball team hits the road this weekend, traveling to Columbus, Ohio, to compete in the Buckeye Classic hosted by Ohio State. On Friday, the Yellow Jackets will open the tournament against Temple (0-3) at 6 p.m. ET. Tech will then play the winner of the No. 18 Ohio State (0-0) /Western Michigan (2-1) match on Sunday at either 1 or 3 p.m. ET.
“This is a great progression for us,” said head coach Bond Shymansky. “Our opening weekend was solid competition and it was good for us to get some wins under our belt and get some confidence. This weekend the competition will be tougher which will force us to get better day in and day out as a team so that we can continue to build. Every weekend gets a little harder and we want to make sure that we are working all the kinks out.”
The match will be a homecoming of sorts as three players on the Tech roster are from areas close to Columbus. Starting rightside hitter Laura Kuhn is from Tiffin and freshman Abby Showers grew up in nearby Vandalia while All-American outside hitter Lynnette Moster hails from Liberty, Ind.
“It’s important that we schedule opponents where we have the chance to play near our players hometown areas,” said Shymansky. “They play with a lot of excitement, motivation and passion when they get a chance to compete against a school that is in an area where they are from and all of our midwest players are very excited to get back and play in front of their friends and family.”
The Jackets began the season winning the Courtyard by Marriott Classic, defeating Northwestern, Coastal Carolina and Alabama. Earning all-tournament honors and leading the Jackets were Moster (4.44 kills per game/3.33 digs per game), Kele Eveland (13.50 assists per game) and Alexandra Preiss (.462 avg./1.11 blocks per game).
“Our start to this season was much stronger than last year’s start and that was one of the comparative things that we had to do since we have the same lineup,” said Shymansky. “This weekend will present a different challenge for us, but it should be a fun and exciting weekend and we are looking forward to the competition.”
