Who | Western Illinois vs. Mississippi Valley State, Chattanooga, and Mississippi State
When | Friday, August 30 at 2:30 p.m and 5 p.m. and Saturday, August 31 at 2 p.m.
Where | Starkville, Miss.
TV | SEC Network, ESPN + vs Mississippi State
Live Stats | vs Mississippi State
Social Media | Twitter  #TRADITIONofTOUGH

First Serve | Western Illinois women's volleyball will head to Mississippi State Friday to kick off their season in the Starkvegas Classic. They will take on Mississippi Valley State, Chattanooga, and Mississippi State.
 
LAST TIME OUT | The Leathernecks traveled to Northern Illinois in a preseason exhibition Aug. 17 where the Leathernecks were they picked up a set but ultimately fell 4-1. Leading the team on the offensive side, Emma Norris totaled seven kills, and JoJo Kruize added a hitting percentage of .444. Cassie Hunt led the team in assists with 18 and Mackenzie Steckler also stepped in with five blocks.
 
STAUPE'S START TO THE SEASON QUOTE | "We are excited to get the season started this Friday at Mississippi State. The team has put on a lot of hard work in these past few weeks." said Coach Ben Staupe. "The atmosphere and culture established by the returners has been amazing, allowing all the newcomers to feel like they are part of the Leatherneck family instantly. I'm looking forward to seeing them complete together and for each other."
 
TWO LEATHERNECKS TO WATCH | The Summit League released a list of Preseason Players to Watch along with preseason rankings Wednesday (Aug. 21). Two WIU players, Mackenzie Steckler and Mariah Mitchell, found their names on the list. Last season, Steckler played in 27 matches to notch 155 kills, 104 blocks, and nine aces. Mitchell is a middle hitter for WIU, coming off of a freshman season where she achieved great success playing in 27 out of 29 total matches, notched 112 kills and 35 blocks.
SCOUTING THE DEVILETTES | The Devilettes are lead by head coach Douglas Hunter. They are coming off of a 6-27 2018 season that included victories against Alcorn State, Dillard and Jackson State. The team returns four starters from last season Destini Banks, Tyler Caliste and Chardea Berthelot. This will be the first time in WIU history that the Leathernecks will take on the Devilettes.
 
SCOUTING THE MOCS | The Mocs are lead by head coach Travis Filar. They are coming off of a 10-20 2018 season that included victories against Western Carolina, The Citadel and Wofford. The team returns five starters from last season Dani Szczepanski, Gylian Finch, and Jaquelyn Langhaim. This will be the first time in WIU history that the Leathernecks will take on the Mocs.
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS | The Bulldogs's are lead by head coach Julie Darty. They are coming off of a 5-26 2018 season that included victories against Auburn, Louisiana Tech and Southeastern Louisiana. The team returns four starters from last season Amarrah Cooks, Deja Robinson, and Paige Shaw. The Leathernecks will look to tie their overall series record that the Bulldogs currently lead 2-1.
 
LOOKING AHEAD | Following this weekend's tournament, the Leathernecks will be back on the road to take on Evansville (Sep. 6), Southeast Missouri State (Sep. 6), and Jackson State (Sep. 7) at the Redhawk Invitational.