March 19, 2008
The Texas A&M volleyball team plays its first tournament of the spring season Thursday as the Aggies participate in the Rice Spring Play Day in Houston.
A&M will play three matches, opening against Sam Houston State at 4:30 p.m., followed by Houston Baptist at 5:30 p.m. and Rice at 6:30 p.m. Matches will be held at Fox Gymnasium, located next to the tennis courts and just west of Autry Court, which is undergoing renovation. Matches consist of two sets to 25 points.
?It is always a fun time in the spring when we get to take a break from all of the training and finally compete,? said A&M coach Laurie Corbelli, who is entering her 16th season at the helm of the Aggies. ?It will be good to get into a competitive mode and work to win.?
Corbelli returns 10 letterwinners, including five starters from the 2007 team that went 21-10 and narrowly missed out on a trip to the NCAA tournament. She also welcomes four highly regarded newcomers who will be making their A&M debut after enrolling in classes and joining the team in January.
?We have a pretty solid returning lineup, and it will be fun to see not only how are our returners have progressed, but also see how the new talent will fit on the court,? Corbelli said.
Outside hitters Kelsey Black (Amarillo High) and Chelsea Ringel (Arlington Martin High School), along with middle blocker Stephanie Minnerly (Arlington Martin High School) all graduated high school in December to get a jump on the college experience. In addition, setter and defensive specialist Dylan Faulkner (Austin St. Michael's Academy) transferred to A&M from Wake Forest.
?These new players are fitting in beautifully and training hard,? Corbelli said. ?They have that kind of dedication and desire, and they know that they are talented. They knew that they could come in early and contribute, and it shows a sign of confidence on their part that they know what it takes to be great players at this level.?
Corbelli expects to experiment with many lineups throughout the spring season.
?We will be using different lineups and will be constantly evaluating all the different match-ups and who plays better next to each other, who plays better in which situations, and all of those things. This spring is going to be one of the most important that we?â„¢ve had, because of the new players who are going to make a big contribution and all of the returners and talented depth that we have.?
Spring matches are considered exhibition, and results do not count toward a team?â„¢s record.
The following is A&M?â„¢s complete spring schedule:
Date Day Tournament Location Time
March 20 Thurs. at Rice Spring Play Day Houston, Texas 4:30 p.m.
April 5 Sat. Texas A&M Spring Tourney College Station, Texas all day
April 12 Sat. at Texas Tornados Tourney Houston, Texas all day
April 19 Sat. at Houston Tourney Houston, Texas all day