UM Volleyball Hosts Annual Hurricane Invitational
Aug. 27, 2009
Hurricane Invitational Notes in PDF Format 
Coral Gables, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team opens the 2009 season Friday, Aug. 28 playing host to in-state opponent Florida Gulf Coast as part of the Hurricane Invitational at the James L. Knight Sports Complex on the campus of UM in Coral Gables. Besides FGCU, this year’s field also includes Prairie View A&M and USF.
The opening match of the tournament pits Prairie View A&M against USF at 3 p.m. That match will be followed by Miami versus Florida Gulf Coast at 6 p.m.
The official Hurricane Invitational website can be accessed by clicking here. The website includes updated information on all participating teams, and will also contain box scores and recaps following each match. Live stats will be provided for each match through Game Tracker.
The Hurricanes enter the 2009 campaign with 10 letterwinners returning from the 2008 season in which Miami finished the year 26-6 (14-6 ACC) and tying for third place in the final Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) standings.
UM looked sharp last weekend in the Fifth Annual Alumni Match where sophomore middle blocker Ali Becker (Katy, Texas) led all players with 19 kills. The varsity squad defeated the alumni team, 5-0.
The `Canes have won the last two Hurricane Invitational events, including last season in which they defeated opponents from Alabama, South Dakota State and VCU.
The only team in this year’s field to face the University of Miami prior to this weekend is USF. UM holds the edge in the series against the Bulls by a count of 9-1. The last meeting between the two schools occurred on Nov. 24, 2004 as UM collected a 3-0 (30-19, 30-17, 30-20) decision in Coral Gables. The match against Prairie View A&M is just the second for UM against a team from the SWAC, with UM posting a 3-0 win over Alabama A&M in 2006.
The `Canes begin this season much like the last few as they take part in three consecutive tournaments. After hosting the Hurricane Invitational, UM travels to the Hampton Inn & Suites Invitational hosted by the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. They conclude the in-season tournament portion of the schedule sharing the Miami/FIU Invitational with cross-town foe FIU in both Miami and Coral Gables, respectively.
Miami comes into the season with three players present on the Preseason All-ACC Team, including Lane Carico (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year. Seniors Genny Mayhew (Clovis, Calif.) and Cassie Loessberg (Sacramento, Calif.) also represent the `Canes on the squad, while as a team UM was predicted to finish third in the ACC preseason poll.
Season and individual match tickets are now on sale and available by calling (800) G0-CANES. Tickets may also be purchased at the door prior to each event.
For more information on the University of Miami Volleyball team, please log on to www.hurricanesports.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, stats and information regarding the Hurricanes Volleyball program.
Hurricanes Quick Hits:
Loessberg Digging up the Charts…
Senior libero/defensive specialist Cassie Loessberg is moving up the charts in Hurricanes volleyball history in several areas, including sets played (9th), assists (9th) and digs (2nd). Loessberg is 198 digs away from passing Jamie Grass (1,621) for first place all-time.
Mayhew Shooting for 1,000…
Senior outside hitter Genny Mayhew is closing in on 1,000 kills for her career as she enters the 2009 campaign with 896 kills in her career. If she cracks the 1,000-kill plateau, she will be just the fifth UM player all-time to have eclipsed that mark.
Katie Gallagher setting it up…
Junior setter Katie Gallagher is currently second all-time at UM in assists with 2,445. The Winter Park, Fla. native has two seasons to try and pass UM’s all-time leader Jill Robinson (4,937).
On This Date in History…
On these dates (Aug. 28 and 29) in history, the University of Miami is 3-0 all-time, including back-to-back wins last year against Texas State and Sacramento State (Aug. 29, 2008) as part of the Century Tel Premier Tournament in San Marcos, Texas. The only other matchup for UM on these dates was a victory over Manhattan back on Aug. 29, 2003. UM has never played a match on Aug. 28.
Freshmen from All over…
Miami has three freshmen making their way onto the team this year in the form of Jenna Berkley, Lizzie Hale and Nrithya Sundararaman. All three come from different states: Berkley (Missouri), Hale (California) and Sundararaman (Illinois). The Hurricanes coaching staff certainly goes all over for the best talent in the country and beyond.
`Canes on the Net…
All Miami home matches this year will feature live stats through Game Tracker on www.hurricanesports.com. A select number of them will feature radio broadcast through WVUM…the official student radio station for the University of Miami.
