July 29 - While she may be deep in the heart of Texas this summer, volleyball student-athlete Audrey Cantrell's heart is with Georgia State.
The brave little Texan climbed aboard a real Texas longhorn with her heart of Texas countdown sign and cowgirl boots to help us keep the Touchdown to Countdown going until the inaugural game. She warns, by the way, never walk near the front of the face of a longhorn steer. Not that any of us would want to try that, of course. An average Texas longhorn weighs between a thousand and two thousand pounds and its horns can range from six-to-seven feet across.
Audrey returns to GSU in early August with the volleyball team for her senior season. The Rockwall, Texas, (a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth) native was invited to the USA Volleyball Olympic try-out camp in February as one of the 175 candidates, even though as a junior she wasn't even eligible to actually make the final team.
Cantrell set the GSU school record for digs in a season and is in the top five all-time in school history as she heads into her final season. Audrey and the volleyball team report to campus on Aug. 8 in preparation for their season-opening match in the Sports Arena on August 27th as a part of the Georgia State Invitational.
Audrey Cantrell will be in California for a volleyball match, but will be wishing the team its first football victory in 35 days on Sept. 2 for the Panthers Inaugural Football Game at the Georgia Dome.
Georgia State officially announced the start of its football program on April 17, 2008, and nationally respected Bill Curry was named the head coach on June 12, 2008.
The first scholarship player, Mark Hogan, enrolled in January, 2009 and the first recruiting class signed National Letters of Intent on Feb. 4, 2009. A second recruiting class was signed on Feb. 3, 2010.
On June 11, 2009, Georgia State announced it will officially play in the Colonial Athletic Association beginning in the 2012 season.
The team's first official practice took place on August 14, 2009 and the team played its first official public spring scrimmage at the Georgia Dome on April 10, 2010, before 3,192 fans.
Georgia State's first-ever marching band is being formed and a new school fight song has been composed. New athletic logos were created and unveiled with the new helmet by President Mark P. Becker and Director of Athletics Cheryl L. Levick in a special one-year Countdown to Touchdown event on Sept. 2, 2009.
Season tickets for the seven-game home season are now on sale by calling 866-GA-STATE or visiting the Sports Arena Ticket Office. The pricing structure is affordable for all and faculty and staff at GSU get a special discount.
The Countdown to Touchdown is on. See the entire Countdown To Touchdown Photo Album.
35 DAYS AND COUNTING !!!
