The Cougars finished strong last season, winning 13 of their last 18 games, and hope that strong play carries over to this season. | File Photo/The Daily Cougar
For the new-look Cougars, the motto coming into the 2011 season is simple: protect the home turf.
UH will try to start the year with a bang when they host the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup to the Athletics/Alumni Center this weekend.
“ We’ve been training for this for two-and-a-half-weeks,” Alvey said. “We get to put all of that out on our home crowd. We need to go out with the mentality that we win at home — that’s the standard for Cougar volleyball.
Tipping off with Lipscomb Univeristy on Friday at 7 p.m., the tournament will mark the first meeting between UH and each of its three opponents.
The Cougars will have a double-header Saturday when they face Xavier at 12 p.m. and Central Arkansas at 7 p.m.
Coming off a successful first season as head coach, Molly Alvey will look to improve upon the Cougars’ 19-13 record from the 2010 season.
In hosting the Flo Hyman Cup, the Cougars will get their first taste of competition against top-ranked opponents.
Lipscomb, Xavier and Central Arkansas all rank within the top 60 programs for the 2011 season.
Alvey and her staff plan to pay close attention to the setter position. After many closely contested offseason scrimmages, freshman Caitlin Ogletree and sophomore Chelsea Harding will make their cases for the starting job.
“ I think our two setters have been battling it out over preseason,” Alvey said. “I need the starting center to show up to play to win.
“They’re both young , but I need one of those two players to step up and make this team win.”
Starting Friday, the Cougars will be given the opportunity to earn their respective starting positions with the first game beginning at 7 p.m.
Noice!