Women's Volleyball | 9/5/2019 12:00:00 PM

     ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Fresh off the first regional ranking in school history and her third straight 20-win season, West Liberty University volleyball coach Kayla Mull can't wait to get the 2019 season started at this weekend's Eckerd College Invitational.
     "I've been very encouraged by our preseason workouts and am really excited to see our group of young and veteran student-athletes take the court in Florida," Mull said. "I think we've developed a great team chemistry that will help carry us to another successful season."
     The WLU women were MEC runners-up behind nationally-ranked Wheeling last fall and finished ninth in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings to fall just short of their first NCAA Tournament bid.
     Led by a pair of returning All-MEC standouts in senior libero/outside hitter Kailee Cunningham and junior middle blocker Madison Clayton, the Hilltoppers are looking to pick up right where they left off this weekend.
     West Liberty has a chance to make an early-season statement in the talent-laden event. The Hilltoppers open Friday against Tiffin (Ohio) in a 12:30 p.m. match before going up against No. 22-ranked Central Oklahoma at 5:30.
     The Black and Gold closes out the tournament on Saturday with a 10 a.m. match against Malone (Ohio) before taking on host Eckerd at 3:30 p.m.