MONROE, La. -- ULM begins its 2013 indoor campaign tomorrow against No. 10 Nebraska to open the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic in St. Louis, Mo. Under the direction of head coach Patrick Hiltz, the new-look Warhawks bring six newcomers and six returners to the court .
The returning group is highlighted by seniors Blanca Ocana and Maria Garcia, as well as junior Marcela Araya.
Ocana finished third on the team in kills last season with 171. The mark leads the returners. Garcia, meanwhile, racked up 78 total blocks, finishing second only to teammate Iren Marinova (82). Araya collected 361 digs in the libero spot in 2012, accounting for a third of ULM's stat total.
While in the Gateway City, ULM will also battle Saint Louis and Auburn before returning home Monday, Sept. 2, for a 2 p.m. battle with Stephen F. Austin.
On the Web: A stream of all matches of the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic are available for purchase from slubillikens.com..
Scouting the Opponents:
Nebraska (Fri., Aug 30, 4:30 p.m.) enters the season ranked 10th in the nation. The Cornhuskers are a young squad featuring 10 freshmen, including four at the libero position. The Huskers put together a 26-7 season in 2012 that ended with a bid to the Elite Eight. Senior Morgan Broekhuis is the top returner after racking up 322 kills last year (third on the team) while hitting at a .291 clip. At the net, Hayley Thramer tallied 140 total blocks last season to pace a tough trio of middle blockers.
Saint Louis (Sat., Aug 31, Noon) features five freshmen with an aim to turn the program around after a 10-20 2012 campaign. Top returner Megan Gilbert leads the attack, coming off a 245-kill season last year. She hit at a .221 clip while netting 63 total blocks. Anna Church is SLU's best returning defender. The sophomore tallieded 262 digs last season.
Auburn (Sat., Aug. 31, 4:30 p.m.) brings six newcomers into 2013 after finishing 17-13 last season. Katherine Culwell leads the returning offense with 330 kills from last season while Camila Jersonsky comes off a 2012 where she hit .356 (269-73-550). Jersonsky's prescense will be felt on the other side of the net, too. She tallied 119 total blocks last season to pace the Tigers. Culwell, meanwhile was third on the team in digs with 264. Team digs leader Sarah Wroblicky comes into 2013 after notching 431 digs last year.
Stephen F. Austin (Mon., Sept. 2, 2 p.m.) serves as ULM's entertainment for the home opener. The Warhawks are on a two-match winning streak over the Ladyjackcs. At the time of publication, SFA was going into Hattiesburg to take on Troy, Jackson State and Southern Miss. Entering 2013, the Ladyjacks return three starters and nine players overall. SFA returns its one-two punch of setter Paige Holland and outside hitter Jill Ivy. Last season, Holland racked up 1,188 assists and Ivy nailed 400 kills, both leading the team, respectively. Ivy is also the Ladyjacks' top returning blocker, recording 96 total blocks last season. Meanwhile, Tori Bates leads all returners with 255 digs. SFA finished 22-12 last season.
One More Thing: For a video preview with Ocana and Garcia, please visit our YouTube channel, and for the latest on ULM Volleyball, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
