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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The start of the Atlantic Sun Conference schedule and the River City Rumble will go hand-in-hand for University of North Florida volleyball as the Ospreys begin the conference season at Jacksonville on Friday night at 7 p.m., at Swisher Gymnasium.
 
"We're excited to start Atlantic Sun play and to do it against JU makes it that much more fun," said head coach Steve Loeswick. "It is always a hard-fought match between the two teams. I expect tomorrow night to be the same."
 
Friday night's match is the first River City Rumble meeting in any sport for the 2014-15 season. Now in its 10th season, the River City Rumble is a season-long series between UNF and Jacksonville with the Old Wooden Barrel being awarded to the school with the most victories over the other. The teams compete for barrel points with 22 total points being up for grabs in 2014-15. Friday night's match is the first of two possible points available for volleyball.
 
Since joining the Atlantic Sun in 2005, and including this weekend, UNF has played its first set of conference matches on the road in eight of the 10 years. This Friday is the fourth year in a row in which A-Sun play has begun away from UNF Arena.
 
The first weekend of Atlantic Sun play has been challenging for UNF, who is 6-10 during that span. However, most conference-opening weekends have included two matches. Only twice (2005 at Stetson and 2008 vs. Jacksonville) have the Ospreys started conference play with a single match and both times resulted in wins.
 
UNF leads the Atlantic Sun in blocks and aces and is the only team to have 90+ for each category. The Ospreys have made 96 total blocks on the year and average 1.88 blocks per set. UNF has served 91 aces, averaging 1.78 per set.
 
The Ospreys come off a 2-2 weekend at the Radisson Invitational held at UNF Arena. Courtney Miller received All-Tournament honors after leading the Ospreys in kills and tallying two double-doubles. As a result, Miller earned UNF's first A-Sun weekly honor on Monday as she was named Freshman of the Week.
 
Jacksonville, who won the 2013 Atlantic Sun Tournament, enters Friday with an 8-6 record. The Dolphins went 2-1 at the Radisson Invitational in their matches at Swisher Gymnasium, but were swept in a neutral-site match in Oviedo, Fla., against Marquette on Sunday. Head coach Julie Darty is in her first season at Jacksonville. The Dolphins have two of the A-Sun's top three kills leaders in Sammie Strausbaugh (conference leader – 4.81 kills per set) and Emily Laskelle (third, 3.50 kills per set). Strausbaugh is the only player in the A-Sun with over 200 kills thus far in the season.
 
UNF leads the all-time series 14-11, but Jacksonville won both meetings last season.