After a preseason in which they were picked to finish in the top tier of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's East Division, the Clark Atlanta University Lady Panthers volleyball team is ready to get the 2019 season started when they host Talladega College Friday at L.S. Epps Gymnasium. The game begins at 6 p.m. and admission is free.
"We're excited for the season to finally get underway," said Head Coach
Valerie Jones. "The ladies have done an excellent job in preparing during a solid preseason. We've had a couple of scrimmages that definitely allowed us to hone in on the areas that we need to improve on. We're doing a great job of jelling as a unit and are excited to get on the court for our first match."
The Lady Panthers, 11-9 overall in 2018 and 10-5 in SIAC play, finished in second in the SIAC East, just a game behind Albany State in the regular season division standings. This year, they've been picked to again finish second in the East, just behind Albany State. The Lady Panthers fought their way into the second day of the SIAC Tournament before falling to ASU.
"I think our players understand rankings, but you strive to be what you want to be," Jones said. "So our goal is obviously to win the division and to do well in the conference tournament. That's what we're focused on and at the end of the season, the final stats will tell us where we place."
Jones said her team will be a good mix of returners and newcomers, led by seniors
Ashley Elmore and
Taylor Prude and junior
Kia Thomas.
Thomas, the 2017 SIAC Most Valuable Player, was named to her second consecutive preseason All-Conference team this year. In all games last season, Thomas finished sixth in the SIAC in hitting percentage and was second on the team in kills and attack percentage.
Elmore led the Lady Panthers in kills with 207 and led the team with 2.88 kills per set. Prude, an All-Conference pick two seasons ago, tallied 112 kills and had 115 digs for the Lady Panthers.
"We also have great leadership in our setting role with
Amirah Bentley, so I'm excited for her getting into a match for us so everybody can see her shine," Jones said. "But they all want to go out and prove themselves on the court. They want to be successful as a unit. I don't think anybody stands out more than the others. I really feel collectively, it's a great fit."
Friday's opponent, Talladega, has opened this season 3-1 after defeating Blue Mountain College Wednesday and winning two of three games in the Mississippi University for Women Tournament last week. CAU last played Talladega in 2017, winning 3-0. The Lady Panthers have defeated Talladega six times in the eight matches the two programs have played since 2012. The Tornadoes play in the NAIA's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.
"They are going to be scrappy and they are going to work hard, and that's pretty much every team we'll face this season," Jones said. "They're going to go out on the court and fight for every point that they are competing for."
Jones said after a good preseason her Lady Panthers are just ready to take the court.
"Each time we've gotten on the court, we've gotten better," she said. "We see versatility in our offense and that's what we're working on developing. They are probably at the place where they should be at this time of the year, so the only thing that we can do is continue to work on it and improve throughout the season. We're excited to open the season."
