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Date: Aug. 28-29, 2015

Time: Friday vs. East Tennessee State (2 p.m.), Friday vs. LIU Brooklyn (7 p.m.), Saturday vs. Elon (noon)

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Match Notes

BLACKSBURG – The wait is over for Virginia Tech volleyball as the 2015 season kicks off at home on Friday during Welcome Back Weekend as part of the Radford/Virginia Tech Invitational. The Hokies serve as host to East Tennessee State, LIU Brooklyn, and Elon throughout the tournament, taking place on the newly named Carilion Court in Cassell Coliseum

The Hokies return three of starters to the squad, including preseason All-ACC team member Lindsey Owens, 2014 total blocks leader Ashley Battle, and returning service ace leader Amanda McKinzie. With an experienced team, head coach Chris Riley is confident with the strengths Tech brings to the court this weekend.

“We’re incredibly diverse that everyone can score,” Riley said. “We’re pretty spread out offensively so I think that makes us pretty tough. I think our passing will make it a challenge for teams to play against us.”

Entering his 10th season at the helm, Riley and his staff have been focusing on creating chemistry on the court during the preseason to prepare for what is to come with minimal history against the opponents this weekend.

“This weekend, the challenge is just about going up against somebody else,” Riley said. “Can we do what we do in practice every day against somebody else? Let’s see how the rhythm of that works for us and see if we can continue to improve on our day-to-day routine.”

Scouting the Opponents:

East Tennessee State was tabbed to finish fourth in the Southern Conference this season after posting a 17-16 overall record and 11-5 in conference during the Buccaneers’ 2014 campaign. Senior Khadijah Wiley garnered preseason conference honors as a returning outside hitter who notched 237 kills with 117 blocks.

LIU Brooklyn went undefeated last season in the Northeastern Conference to be unanimously selected to repeat as conference champions for the fourth straight season. The Blackbirds return a veteran squad for 2015, including NEC Libero of the Year, Adriana Viñas Joy, and first-team all-conference hitter Tamara Ignjic.

Elon was selected to finish the season in the eighth spot of the Colonial Athletic Association after 1-15 mark, 6-26 overall in their premier season in the conference. Outside hitter Sydney Busa was an honorable mention to the preseason team after earning CAA all-rookie honors last year.

Tech vs. the Field:

The Hokies hold a combined 21-5 record over this weekend’s opponents with the most recent victory in 2010 over the Blackbirds. Friday evenings’ match against LIU will mark the second contest for the two schools. Virginia Tech leads Elon with a 2-0 mark as the two teams face for the first time since 2004. The Hokies are 18-5 overall against the Buccaneers. Tech holds a 10-match win streak at home against ETSU with the last loss in 1981.

Season Openers:

The Hokies are 21-17 all-time in season openers and 8-1 under Chris Riley.

Promotions:

As part of Welcome Back Weekend, there will be a special presentation on Friday evening prior to the 7 p.m. contest against LIU Brooklyn to celebrate the naming of Carilion Court. Students in attendance will receive free pizza and bandage kits as part of the event. Additionally, post-match autographs will follow Saturday’s noon match to close out the tournament.

Up Next:

Virginia Tech hits the road to take part in the Spartan Invitational, taking on Miami (OH) and Michigan State on Sept. 4 and Butler the following day.

For updates on Virginia Tech volleyball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_VBall and on Instagram @vthokievolleyball