@CanesVB Set for Hurricane Invitational
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team will open its 2015 regular season with three matches at this weekend’s Hurricane Invitational.
The Hurricane Invitational will feature Miami, Illinois State, Kansas State and Florida A&M in six matches over two days at the James L. Knight Sports Complex on the University of Miami campus. The Canes will face Illinois State on Friday, August 28 at 7 p.m., before hosting Florida A&M and Kansas State on Saturday, August 29, at 12:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively. Admission is free to all Miami volleyball home matches in the 2015 regular season.
“It’s exciting to open the season at home this weekend,” Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara said. “We get to play three matches against good teams in front of our fans. The team has been working hard all preseason and we are looking forward to playing this weekend to start our season.”
A year ago, the Hurricanes reached the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, falling to No. 8 Florida in a hard-fought four-set battle. The Canes earned their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2011 when they beat UCF in five sets on Dec. 5, 2014. The win was also the first NCAA Tournament victory in Gandara’s head coaching career, capping a 22-9 season in which Miami finished tied for third in the ACC.
Miami brings back five of seven starters from the 2014 team. Preseason All-ACC pick Haley Templeton joins seniors Taylor Scott and Kalysta White, junior Kelsie Groot and sophomore Sakile Simmons as key returners heading into 2015.
“I’m looking forward to the competition and getting to play with all the girls,” Templeton said. “I can’t wait to see how far we can go this year.”
Senior Caitilin Donahoe and sophomores Sylvia Hernandez, Michele Marenus and Brooke McDermott also made contributions for the Hurricanes in 2014, while senior Alexis Mourning is back on the court after redshirting in the 2014 season.
Mourning is the veteran Hurricane on the 2015 squad, heading into her fifth year with the program. The redshirt senior is an accomplished volleyball player, twice earning All-ACC honors and receiving AVCA All-America honorable mention in 2012.
Preseason All-ACC selection Olga Strantzali is one of six newcomers joining the Hurricanes in 2015 along with freshmen Lucia Pampana, Anna Haak, Kolby Bird, Codi Lee and Samantha Purnell.
All three Miami volleyball matches from the Hurricane Invitational. will be broadcasted on ESPN3.
For all the latest information on Miami Hurricanes volleyball, follow the official Twitter feed, @CanesVB, or “Like Us” on Facebook at facebook.com/UMVolleyball. The program is also on Instagram.
