The Lady Bisons were picked second in the Great American Conference preseason poll and have aspirations to return to the national tournament.
They were undefeated in conference play last season, but fell short in last year’s championship game. Head coach Meredith Fear said that even though keeping the 28 game winning streak alive is a goal, the focus has been shifted.
“We are putting more emphasis on peaking at the conference tournament,” Fear said. “We’re really switching our focus to winning the conference tournament over being undefeated.”
Three seniors graduated, last year leaving the floor open for younger players to step up as leaders on the court. Junior Molly Howard, outside hitter, is one of those players.
“It feels like we have a new team, to be honest with you,” Howard said. “We’re really dynamic in different ways than we were last year. We mesh well together.”
Senior Taryn Eubank said Arkansas Tech University, who was picked first in the GAC preseason poll, and Southern Nazarene University will most likely be the toughest teams to beat.
“They are good programs, but if we play our game we should be fine,” Eubank said.
As the first game of the 2014 season draws near, Fear said she wants to encourage the student body to come watch and bring energy and excitement to the Rhodes.
“Come give volleyball a try, even if you don’t know that much about it,” Fear said. “It’s exciting and fast-paced; a lot happens in a short amount of time.”
The Lady Bisons play their first exhibition game on Sept. 2 against Lyon College in the Rhodes Field House at 7 p.m. and in the Christian Brother’s Tournament on Sept. 5 and 6 in Memphis, Tenn.
