? Pre-match notes (.pdf)
Matches 1-3: at Bronco Invitational
Bronco Gym ? Boise, Idaho
Match 1: Friday, Aug. 24, at Boise State, 8 p.m.
Match 2: Saturday, Aug. 25, vs. #24 Santa Clara, 11:30 a.m.
Match 3: Saturday, Aug. 25, vs. Cal State Fullerton, 6 p.m.
The week ahead: UTSA opens its 25th season of volleyball this weekend at the Bronco Invitational in Boise, Idaho. The Roadrunners begin the 2007 campaign at 8 p.m. (CT) on Friday, Aug. 24, when they play host institution Boise State. UTSA is slated to then play a doubleheader on Saturday. The Roadrunners first face No. 24 Santa Clara at 11:30 a.m. and then Cal State Fullerton at 6 p.m.
Listen on the Web: All three of this weekend’s matches can be heard live at goUTSA.com for free (however, a Rowdy Zone subscription will be required for the remainder of the season). Associate Sports Information Director Brian Hernandez will call the action from courtside.
Scouting the opposition: Boise State is coming off a 13-17 season that saw it finish in a sixth-place tie in the Western Athletic Conference with a 6-10 record. Friday’s match will be UTSA’s first-ever contest with the Broncos. Santa Clara, ranked 24th in the preseason CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, was 20-8 a year ago and 9-5 in West Coast Conference play. The Broncos won the only previous meeting with the Roadrunners, a 3-0 sweep on Sept. 26, 1992. Cal State Fullerton posted a 17-12 record and was 6-8 in the Big West last season, which was good for sixth place. UTSA and the Titans will meet for the first time ever on Saturday evening.
Preseason accolades: UTSA was picked to finish fourth in the West Division of the Southland Conference this season by both the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. The Roadrunners were slotted behind defending regular season champion Stephen F. Austin, Texas-Arlington and Texas State. Meanwhile, McNeese State was the pick to win the league’s East Division. UTSA, coming off a 2006 campaign that saw it post a 19-13 record (11-5 SLC West), returns three letterwinners and welcomes nine newcomers to the program this year.
Prior named to preseason first team: Junior middle hitter Victoria Prior was one of 12 players named to the Southland Conference’s Preseason First Team, the league office announced earlier this month. Prior started 28 matches a year ago and set single-season and single-match career highs in nearly every category. The Galveston native was second on the team with a .231 hitting percentage and 78 total blocks (nine solo/69 assists). She also registered 329 kills, which ranked fourth on the squad, and reached double figures in 17 matches, including the last six of the year. Prior added 71 digs, 11 assists and a pair of service aces.
2006 recap: UTSA, 19-13 overall and 11-5 in Southland Conference play a year ago, qualified for its fourth consecutive SLC Tournament last fall. It tied the Roadrunners’ best win total under head coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff (19-14 in 2003). UTSA posted a 10-3 mark at the Convocation Center, marking the third year in a row the Roadrunners posted 10 victories at home. Senior Connie Picard was a first-team all-conference selection, while seniors Meagan Daniel and Erin McMillan were third-team honorees. Senior setter DeeDee Strickland earned honorable mention accolades and all four were first-team Academic All-SLC choices.
Head Coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff: A highly-respected coach and player who is legendary locally, Laura Neugebauer-Groff begins her sixth season at the helm of UTSA?s volleyball program in 2007. After leading the Roadrunners to a 19-13 record, a 10-3 mark at the Convocation Center and a berth in the Southland Conference Tournament, her career ledger stands at 336-140 (.706). In five years as the Roadrunners’ head coach, she has tutored 13 All-SLC players and 11 all-academic honorees, including 2005 SLC Student-Athlete of the Year Meagan Daniel. Under her guidance, UTSA has finished among the top four spots in the league standings four times and advanced to four consecutive conference tournaments.
