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This will be the Cougars’ last tournament of the preseason, and they are hoping to add more wins to their undefeated streak. The Cougars won all three of their previous invitationals and have a winning record of 9–0, their best start since 2005.
“So far we have been champions at three tournaments, so that’s pretty huge,” senior middle blocker Nicole Warner said. “I’m just so excited for our team because we’ve had a great preseason.”
Head coach Shawn Olmstead said this tournament is important because it is the last opportunity the team has to improve before the West Coast Conference.
“We’re going to D.C., so that’s a long haul, but the girls are up for it,” Olmstead said. “They’ve done a wonderful job thus far, and they get to travel the country and go take on some good opponents out there in D.C.”
The tournament will open on Friday, Sept. 14, where the Cougars will take on New Hampshire at 5 p.m. CDT. This will be the first time the Cougars have ever played New Hampshire.
Junior outside hitter Jessica Jardine said the Cougars will work hard this week to prepare for the invitational.
“We are going to go out and play how we know how to play,” Jardine said. “We will work hard in practice preparing for the teams and just go do what we know we can do.”
On Saturday, Sept. 15, the Cougars will face off against Princeton at noon EDT. The last time the Cougars played Princeton was in 1999 at the NCAA Tournament, where the Cougars won in a 3–0 sweep.
Saturday evening the Cougars will play their last match of the preseason against George Washington at 7 p.m. EDT. The Cougars went up against George Washington last in 1993, where they beat the George Washington Colonials in another 3–0 sweep.
Warner said the team is excited about the trip to D.C. because most of them have never been before, but they are going to make sure they keep their focus and treat their opponents as they would any other team.
“They’re good teams, and they can play really well so we need to showcase our talents while we are there,” Warner said. “We need to make sure we’re playing the volleyball we know: lots of blocks, great serving, lots of digs.”
The George Washington Invitational will take place in Washington, D.C., at the Charles E. Smith Athletic Center. Score results can be found on the Cougars website at the end of each match.
When the Cougars return home from D.C. they will open the West Coast Conference with a home match against Pepperdine on Thursday, Sept. 20.
