HARTSVILLE, S.C. - The Coker University volleyball team is ready to start its 2022 season, under head coach Travis Nead going into his fourth season.
Nead wants his team to compete in the South Atlantic Conference, and pushes high expectations for the year.
"The biggest goal for this season is to compete at a level that puts us into the conference tournament at the end of the season," said Nead. "I expect that this time we will play hard and bring a ton of energy to each match that we play and I'm excited to see the chemistry blossom on the court this season."
11 Cobras return from last season, and Nead is pleased with the impact the group has made and will continue to make.
"Our returners will and have already made a huge impact," said Nead. "Starting in the Spring we focused not only on foundational volleyball, but on a deep commitment to shaping the culture of our program. Our returners and specifically our seniors have embraced this leadership role or leading through living our standards daily. I am looking forward to how many of our upperclassmen take the next step in their careers and hour our returning underclassmen embrace the growth of a sophomore season."
Seven new Cobras also join the mix, and Nead has been pleased with the energy the group brings each and every day.
"The newcomers have done a great job of making a positive impact in our gym already. The energy and excitement that they bring to our gym is fun to watch on the court and I think they all have been great additions to our locker room."
Coach Nead has a positive feeling about how the returners and newcomers have come together and what each individual brings to the dynamic of the team.
"The newcomers have really adapted well to the pace of the gym and have embraced the leadership of our returners," said Nead. "I've enjoyed seeing great strides made so early in all of their collegiate careers."
Coker opens the season at Erskine College's tournament on Aug. 26-27, before hosting Lenoir-Rhyne in the home opener on Aug. 30. Coker then travels to Mars Hill for a tournament on Sept. 2-3, before traveling to Wingate on Sept. 6. The Cobras are back at home the following weekend against Newberry (Sept. 9) and Anderson (S.C.) (Sept. 10), before traveling to Catawba on Sept. 17. Coker returns home for a three-match homestand against Wingate (Sept. 20), Tusculum (Sept. 23) and Mars Hill (Sept. 24), before closing out September on the road at Emory & Henry (Sept. 30). The Cobras open October the next day (Oct. 1) at UVA Wise, before hosting Wingate again on Oct. 4. The Cobras then travel to Limestone on Oct. 7, before welcoming Lincoln Memorial and Carson-Newman for Homecoming weekend (Oct. 14-15). Coker then embarks on a three-match road swing at Lenoir-Rhyne (Oct. 18), Newberry (Oct. 28) and Anderson (Oct. 29). The regular season concludes at home on Nov. 5 against Catawba.
"Any time you play a conference opponent, we're going to get a good competitive match," said Nead. "The toughest stretch of our schedule is the middle of September. This is when we start to face many of our division foes for the first time this season. Looking forward to how we battle during this time."
The Cobras open up the season tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 26) facing Young Harris at Erskine College. First serve is set for 3:00 p.m. from Due West, S.C., with video and live stats available at www.cokercobras.com.