Weekend Number Two

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - After a week out in California, North Florida volleyball returns to the eastern time zone for three matches in Conway, S.C., at the Coastal Carolina Tournament Friday, Sept. 1-Saturday, Sept. 2. North Florida takes on Georgia, Coastal Carolina and TCU over the two-day tournament.

MATCH DETAILS
Who | North Florida, Georgia, Coastal Carolina, TCU
What | Coastal Carolina Tournament
When | Friday, Sept. 1-Saturday, Sept. 2
Where | Conway, S.C.

Live Coverage
Live stats will be offered for each match, although a live stream will only be provided for North Florida's match against Coastal Carolina.

Series History
Georgia: UNF and Georgia are playing for the third time ... the last meeting between the two teams was almost 10 years to the day ago ... UGA won that meeting, 3-1, in Athens, Ga. ... the first-ever meeting was Aug. 25, 2007 in Statesboro, Ga. ... UGA would win that neutral site meeting.
Coastal Carolina: UNF and Coastal Carolina are playing for the fourth time in series history ... all three meetings have taken place during UNF's DI era ... the Chanticleers won the last meeting, 3-0, in Conway, S.C., Sept. 17, 2016 ... the previous two meetings were a pair of 3-2 victories for Coastal Carolina ... two of the three meetings have taken place in Conway.
TCU: UNF and TCU are playing for the second time and second time in three seasons ... the Horned Frogs won that meeting in three frames back in September of 2021.

SCOUTING REPORT
Georgia: The Bulldogs are 2-1 after hosting their Classic City Clash Tournament last weekend ... the Bulldogs swept UConn and WCU before being ousted in three frames against Florida State ... UGA is coached by 7th year head coach Tom Black ... Black came to UGA after successful stints at UC San Diego and LMU ... Georgia also won its exhibition match against Clemson, 3-2 ... Georgia was projected to finish fourth in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll ... Outside hitter Kacie Evans and middle blocker Sophie Fischer were named to the preseason all-league team ... Black was named SEC Coach of the Year last year, helping UGA to a 25-8 record.
Coastal Carolina: The Chanticleers were 17-13 and 9-7 in a competitive Sun Belt Conference last season ... Coastal swept Elon in the first match of last weekend's Charlotte Invitational, but a pair of 3-2 losses followed in meetings against Charleston Southern and Charlotte ... Gainesville, Fla., native and freshman, Jalyn Stout, paces Coastal with 55 kills through the opening weekend ... Coastal was projected to finish third in the Sun Belt Conference East Division by the coaches.
TCU: TCU went 11-5 in Big 12 play last year during head coach Jason Williams' first year at the helm in Fort Worth ... TCU started the season against two of the nation's best in No. 7 Minnesota and No. 2 Wisconsin ... Melanie Parra did earn Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge All-Tourney honors last weekend ... TCU was picked in the front half of the preseason poll at No. 4 in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll ... TCU features a roster with the majority being underclassmen ... the Horned Frogs have seven freshmen and five sophomores ... Jason Williams was previously the Associate Head Coach with Baylor.

MATCH NOTES

Recap from Cali

UNF started its season in California, playing an exhibition at San Diego State and three matches in Santa Barbara
UNF took on Denver, New Mexico State and UCSB
The Ospreys started the weekend with a 3-1 win against Denver, but dropped matches to NMSU and UCSB
Kailey McKnight posted 36 kills and earned all-tournament honors
North Florida's roster features four Ospreys that are either from California or played college volleyball somewhere in California
Head coach Kristen Wright is also a California native.

Preseason Picks

UNF made some noise in the preseason conference rankings and all-league team
Mahalia White and Rocio Moro were both league superlative award honorees, with Moro being named ASUN Preseason Defensive Player of the Year for the third-straight time, while Mahalia White was named ASUN Preseason Player of the Year.
Moro is the three-time reigning ASUN Defensive Player of the Year, the only student-athlete to have earned that honor three times in the history of the league
White was named to the ASUN Second Team a year ago after pacing the league in points/set and kills/set

Hungry and Experienced

North Florida brings back significant numbers from last year's team that finished 9-7 in league play
Headlining that group is Moro and White, along with starters in 2022 ASUN All-Freshman pick Kierstyn McFall, Maddie Boyd, Kailey McKnight
North Florida returns 85.5 percent of its sets played for 2022

Highest of Honors

Graduate student Mahalia White received one of the highest honors in all of collegiate sports this past summer
White joined the nation's best female student-athletes in Los Angeles for the Collegiate Women's Sports Award (CWSA) Honda Cup ceremonies
She was selected by the CWSA as the Honda Inspiration Cup award winner, an honor given to a female student-athlete in any of the NCAA Divisions that has overcome an extraordinary trial during their respective careers before overcoming and returning to success
White defeated Hodgkin's Lymphoma and a torn ACL during her collegiate playing career before returning to the court and putting up all-league honors last year

Noting the Newcomers

UNF's roster features 19 total and six newcomers
Just two of UNF's newcomers are true freshmen, as Emma Pohlmann suits up in the Navy and Gray after arriving by way of Birmingham, Ala. Francis-Garay competed for her native country of Puerto Rico this summer before joining the Ospreys in mid-August
Morgan Wilson (Towson), Rylee Moorhead (Presbyterian), Negron (UC Irvine) and Kyla Solis (Clemson), all bring extensive experience in the DI ranks

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Maddie Boyd

Kierstyn McFall

Kailey McKnight

Rylee Moorhead

Rocio Moro

Emma Pohlmann

Kyla Solis

Mahalia White

Morgan Wilson

Footer