The Drake University volleyball team begins the 2018 season this weekend at the Sam Houston State Tournament in Huntsville, Texas. The Bulldogs are scheduled to play three matches in two days with contests against the hosts, Bethune-Cookman and Texas Southern. Action for the Bulldogs begins Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. against Sam Houston State.
Following Friday's match against the homestanding Bearkats, the Bulldogs face Bethune-Cookman Saturday at 9:30 a.m. followed by the tournament finale against Texas Southern at 3:30 p.m.
The season-opening road trip will be a homecoming for three Bulldogs who hail from the Lone Star State. Senior and Missouri Valley Conference preseason all-conference selection Cathryn Cheek (Coppell, Texas), sophomore
Natalie Fry (Allen, Texas) and transfer
Callan Holmes (Lorena, Texas) all hail from Texas.
Drake opens its season following one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2017 when the team posted a 23-10 record for its best finish since 2010 and third-most wins in a season. The team returns all but one starter from that squad and has added five talented newcomers to mix for 2018.
The Bulldogs were projected to finish fourth in the MVC preseason poll coming off their fourth-place finish from 2017 in a league that has earned 30 bids to the NCAA Tournament since 2007, trailing only the Pac 12, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, ACC & West Coast Conferences.
Following this weekend's season opener, the Bulldogs travel to the East Coast for the Holy Cross Invitational for matches against Columbia, Rhode Island and Holy Cross.
