Beach Volleyball Set to Host New Orleans in Doubleheader Saturday

Saturday, February 22

Southern Miss Beach Volleyball Complex

10 A.M.

Southern Miss

New Orleans

Beach Volleyball Set to Host New Orleans in Doubleheader Saturday

2/21/2020 5:31:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Coming off of a historic inaugural season, the Southern Miss Beach Volleyball team will make its 2020 season debut on Saturday when it hosts New Orleans in a doubleheader at the Southern Miss Beach Volleyball Complex. The first match will get underway at 10 a.m. Admission to the event is free.

While it won't be head coach Shawn Taylor's first time stepping into the sand at Southern Miss, it will be his first at the helm of the Golden Eagles. The former Spring Hill coach brought his Badgers squad to Hattiesburg last season en route to splitting a doubleheader with the Golden Eagles. Nine of Taylor's current players faced Spring Hill that day, giving him a front-row seat to see the talent on Southern Miss' roster.

The Golden Eagles return 92 wins from last season, including their top pairing of Kylie Grandy and Abbey Wilson. Grandy and Wilson capped their 2019 season with a win over No. 11 South Carolina's top pair at the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association Conference Championships. Southern Miss also brings back Lindsey Smith, Madison Lawler, Olivia Hepworth, Breleigh Favre, Kinsley Hanback, Kellie Garraway, and Piper Matsumoto. Lawler and Hepworth were the only two Golden Eagles to mount a winning individual record last season.

Taylor reloaded a deep roster with the additions of Haley Hop, Kaile Tuisamatatele, and Hallie Phelan. Hop joins the Golden Eagles after wrapping up an indoor career at Alabama-Huntsville that saw the Madison, Ala. native haul in several AVCA, Gulf South Conference, and D2CCA awards. Phelan and Tuisamatatele are transitioning to beach volleyball after spending their fall semester with the Southern Miss indoor volleyball team.

The Opponent
New Orleans is coming off a 15-13 campaign that included a 3-2 win over the Golden Eagles in the early part of last season. Veronica Corcoran and Rachel Kuhn return as the Privateers' top pairing after going 20-6 last season.

What's Next
The Golden Eagles will continue their homestand on Monday when they host ULM at 1 p.m.

Follow at @SouthernMissBVB on Twitter for updates.