SAN ANTONIO -- UTSA volleyball will kick off its 2018 season with its lone exhibition match, hosting UIW on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT at the Convocation Center.
The Roadrunners will face the Cardinals in the lone tune-up for the 2018 season, which officially opens on Aug. 24 -25 in the Army West Point Invitational in New York. UTSA will open its home schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 11 vs. Texas State.
Coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff, the winningest head coach in program history, enters her 17th season at the helm of the UTSA program. Neugebauer-Groff leads a coaching staff that includes veteran associate head coach Paul Koncir, former Penn State great Dominique Gonzalez and volunteer assistant Andrew Fields.
The Roadrunners return several key players from 2017, including junior middle hitter Kara Teal, who averaged 2.29 kills per set with a .297 hitting percentage as a sophomore. Sophomore middle hitter Hannah Foeschl, senior setter Amanda Gonzales, junior defensive specialist/libero Emily Ramirez and senior defensive specialist Shelby Williams return after playing in at least 27 of 28 matches in 2017. Ramirez returns after leading the Roadrunners with 3.59 digs per set as a sophomore.
UIW is coming off an 8-15 record and a 7-9, eighth-place finish in the Southland Conference. UIW is under the direction of first-year coach Samantha Dabbs. UIW is led by senior outside hitter Autumn Lockley, who averaged 2.86 kills per set as a junior.
Tickets are free for the exhibition.