What you need to know:
* Georgia State opens the 2016 season in Harrisonburg, Va., to take on Holy Cross, James Madison and North Carolina Central.
* The Panthers play two matches on Friday at 10:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Georgia State finishes the tournament with an 11:00 a.m. match versus North Carolina Central on Saturday.
* GSU will look to returning seniors Kristina Stinson and Eliza Zachary to lead the way in the JMU Invitational.
ATLANTA – Court volleyball is back! Georgia State will open the 2016 season with the JMU Invitational in Harrisonburg, Va. The tournament begins Friday with the Panthers battling Holy Cross in the teams' first-ever meeting at 10:00 a.m. The team will then play formidable host James Madison later that night at 7:30 p.m. in the teams' 16th meeting.
On Saturday, Georgia State squares off against North Carolina Central at 11:00 a.m. in the team's third and final tournament match. All matches will be held in JMU's Sinclair Gymnasium. The final match marks just the second meeting between the Panthers and the Eagles. Georgia State took the first match of the series back in August of 2009 in straight sets.
Georgia State will look to its returners from last season for a strong tournament showing. Senior middle blocker Eliza Zachary looks to bounce back from a season-ending injury with the help of fellow senior outside hitter Kristina Stinson. After strong play in the blue/white scrimmage last Saturday, newcomer Celeste Friesen as well as key returners Anna Rantala and Sarah Renner will look to string together solid performances this weekend.
As a team with 11 underclassmen, Morgan Hash, Jocelyn Mahayag, Crystal Lee and company may be called upon early on this season. Head coach Sally Polhamus and the entire coaching staff are excited to put their youth to the test starting this weekend.
Be sure to tune in to coverage of the JMU Invitational starting this Friday at 10:00 a.m.
Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GeorgiaStateVB) for the latest news.
