MONTICELLO, Ark. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello Volleyball team will begin its season with four contests at the Miner Invitational in Rolla, Missouri. They will play two games on Friday, and two on Saturday.
 
UAM will open its season with a matchup against Auburn University at Montgomery at 1 p.m., and then finish day one on Friday with a 7:30 p.m. game against the University of Missouri at St. Louis.
 
On day two, the Boll Weevils will play the host school, Missouri S&T at 11 a.m., and conclude its tournament at 5:30 p.m. against the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.
 
SCHEDULE AND LIVE COVERAGE LINKS:
UAM VS. AUBURN-MONTGOMERY – 9/6, 1 P.M. – LIVE STATS, LIVE VIDEO
UAM VS. MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS – 9/6, 7:30 P.M. – LIVE STATS, LIVE VIDEO
UAM AT MISSOURI S&T – 9/7, 11 A.M. – LIVE STATS, LIVE VIDEO
UAM VS. ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH – 9/7, 5:30 P.M. – LIVE STATS, LIVE VIDEO
 
UAM NOTES

• UAM is coached by the youngest volleyball coach in Division II, Jocelyn Garcia.
• Last season, the team went 6-26 overall and had a 3-13 Great American Conference Mark
• The Boll Weevils return five seniors including Jessica Mahan, Leslie Polanco, Zealia Kleitz, Elizabeth Harshaw and MarKayla Dickie.
• Dickie led the team in kills in 2018 with 278, while Polanco was tops on the roster in kills per set at 2.59 in 19 matches.
• Kleitz was one of the team's top defenders in 2018 ranking second in total blocks with 53.
• Junior Brittany Hamilton also returns to UAM after playing 24 matches last season.
• Junior Transfer Katie Pearson will also look to make an impact this year.
• The sophomores on the roster are Halli Lambert (182 kills in 2018), Rheanna Jones, Hailey Fike, Katelyn Richbourg and Taylor Calhoun.
• The freshmen class consists of Kyndall Eddlemon, Devyn Simpson and Josi Revielle.

 
MATCHUP ONE
Opponent: Auburn-Montgomery
2018 Record:  11-20, 2-14 (Gulf South Conference)
Notes

• AUM has five returners coming back from 2018. There are 10 newcomers on the roster.
• Their top newcomers are middle blocker Ariadne Borges and setter Isadora Nicolai. Both were named top newcomers in the GSC preseason release.
  • Last season, Borges was an All-Region honorable mention and ranked second in the nation in the NAIA in total blocks with 175 and finished the season with 283 kills.
  • Nicolai played at Lynn University a season ago and was named the Sunshine State Conference Setter of the Week. She tallied 50-plus assists in three out of four matches that week.
• Flavia Siqueria will make her as she makes her Auburn-Montgomery debut. Last season, she coached at Lynn as the top assistant for the Fighting Knights. 

MATCHUP TWO
Opponent: Missouri-St. Louis
2018 Record: 14-15, 7-11 (GLVC)
Notes

• UMSL returns its top two attackers from a season ago in Selena Nolte and Kylie Rudsinksi.
  • Nolte led the roster in kills (383) and kills per set (3.61) in 2018.
  • Rudsinski was second on the team in kills (323) and kills per set (2.91).
• Payton Kennelly also returns for the year having led the team in 2018 in assists with 693. She also was second on the roster in digs with 218.
• Ryan Young is the head coach of the Tritons. He enters his 10th season with the program with a record of 135-105 (.563). 

MATCHUP THREE
Opponent: Missouri-S&T
2018 Record: 15-15, 7-11 (GLVC)
Notes

• Missouri-S&T's top returners are Emilee Schlader and Kiernan O'Boyle.
  • Schlader led the team in kills (404) and kills per set (3.78). She also totaled 63 blocks on the defensive side of the ball.
  • O'Boyle played the second-most sets for MST last season at 114. She was the team's top defender totaling 121 blocks and 1.06 blocks per set.
• Setter Sarah McGinnis is back for the Miners.
  • She was the team's top distributor in 2018 with 789 assists averaging 7.89 assists per set.
• Andy Halaz is the team's head coach and returns for his second season with the Miners. Last year, he was 15-15 (.500) in his first year as a head coach in Division II women's volleyball. 

MATCHUP FOUR
Opponent: Arkansas-Fort Smith
2018 Record: 20-12, 8-4 (LSC)
Notes

• Anna Demmer comes back to the team this season as the team's top attacker last season. She totaled 396 kills and had 3.47 kills per set.
• Rachel Williams and Lauren Wood are also key returners for the Lady Lions.
  • Williams finished third on the roster in kills at 306 and kills per set at 2.76.
  • Wood only appeared in 74 sets last year, but will be a key returner. She totaled 99 kills and had 1.25 kills per set.
• Jane Sargent is the team's head coach. Her career record in 10 seasons at Arkansas-Fort Smith is 256-71. 

UP NEXT
UAM returns to action September 13th at 9 a.m. as it begins the Southeastern Oklahoma Tournament in Durant, Oklahoma.