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BLACKSBURG -- Following the end of the 2015 season, Virginia Tech head women’s volleyball coach Chris Riley couldn’t help but feel excited when he looked ahead to the 2016 campaign. He had some good reasons to feel that way considering whom he had returning to campus.

Riley lost only two players to graduation and he returns a number of key pieces with another year of experience under their belts. Seniors Lindsey Owens and Amanda McKinzie are back for their final seasons in Blacksburg after finishing first and second on the team, respectively, in kills last season. Riley also will see his top setter back in sophomore Rhegan Mitchell and junior middle blocker Ashley Battle, who’s coming off a sophomore season when she hit .330 and totaled 143 blocks.

It’s a battle-tested core that is joined by seven newcomers. They combine to form a Hokie volleyball squad that possesses talent, depth, and the chance to exceed expectations against a challenging schedule.

“Our team is pretty experienced,” said Riley, who enters his 11th season at Tech. “We know exactly what it takes to accomplish what we’ve set out to do. We have players who have been in the battle for a long time and we feel like we can match up with just about anybody.”

A full season preview, including a positional breakdown, can be found in the upcoming issue of Inside Hokie Sports.

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