University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Volleyball Opens Season with Road Swing in Houston
8/24/2023 9:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss Volleyball officially begins its 2023 campaign tomorrow against No. 23 Rice at 6 p.m. CT from the Tudor Fieldhouse. The Golden Eagles will then compete Saturday and Sunday at the Flo Hyman Classic on the campus of the University of Houston with contests against No. 19 Houston and No. 22 Southern California.
"Facing three top 25 programs this weekend is an incredible opportunity for USM Volleyball," Head Coach Jenny Hazelwood said. "We return a lot of experience and a large part of our point scoring from last season. We knew we needed to challenge ourselves early on to see where we stand so that we know where we need to get better."
Southern Miss Schedule
Friday, Aug. 25- 6 p.m. CT- vs. No. 23 Rice
Flo Hyman Classic
Saturday, Aug. 26- 6 p.m. CT- vs. No. 19 Houston
Sunday, Aug. 27- 11 a.m. CT- vs. No. 22 Southern California
QUICK HITS:
- Junior libero Megan Harris was named Preseason Sun Belt Libero of the Year after posting a conference-best 256 digs in league play last year, and finishing the season with 554 digs. Juniors Cara Atkinson and Mia Wesley were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Teams.
- Wesley recorded 579 total kills last season, which ranked first in the Sun Belt and fourth in Division I volleyball.
- Hazelwood finished her debut season with the Golden Eagles as the winningest first-year coach in program history, leading the team to a 21-12 (10-6 SBC) record with a NIVC Final Four run.
- Southern Miss returners: Mia Wesley, Cara Atkinson, Megan Harris, Kallie Siebrasse, Cailin Demps, Ella Voorhees, Izzy Kronenberg, Reagan Leinen and Ari Barksdale
- Southern Miss newcomers: Aysu Dalogullari, Maggie Sewell, Franky Panunzio, Torrey Tkach, Lillie Johnson, Mara Schmidt, Sadie McAda and Hayden Riddle
Rice
Southern Miss will be challenged by three top-25 programs this weekend, starting off with defending Conference USA champion Rice.
The Owls posted a 27-4 record last season and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. They return four starters and nine letterwinners from last year's team.
Houston
The Golden Eagles will then compete in the Flo Hyman Classic at the University of Houston, starting Saturday night with a match against the Cougars.
No. 19 Houston opens the season with its highest preseason ranking in program history after the team finished last season with a 30-4 record, an American Athletic Conference Championship and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Head Coach David Rehr enters his fifth year with the program after earning the American Coach of the Year award in 2022. Rehr has posted an 84-34 record with the Cougars and an overall 625-176 record in his 23 seasons as a head coach.
Southern California
Southern Miss will play USC for the first time in program history to close out the weekend slate on Sunday.
No. 22 Southern California finished last season with a 22-11 record and fourth in the Pac-12 at 13-7. The Trojans made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament but were eliminated in the second round by Ohio State.
Head Coach Jenny Hazelwood's daughter, Allie Hazelwood, joins USC as a freshman setter.
Up Next
"We have such a hard-working team that embraces challenges, adversity and competition. We are more than ready to enter the next phase of the 2023 season," Hazelwood said.
Southern Miss will travel to Nacogdoches, Texas next weekend for the Stephen F. Austin Tournament on Sept. 1-2.
For all of the latest Southern Miss volleyball news, follow the official Southern Miss volleyball Twitter account (@SouthernMissVB), Instagram account (@southernmissvb) and Facebook account (Southern Miss Volleyball).
