Sept. 3, 2014
In a year of new beginnings and remembering the past, the 2014 San José State volleyball team opens the home portion of the schedule this Thursday, September 4, with a non-conference match in Spartan Gym and a newly remodeled Yosh Uchida Hall.
The Spartans face Saint Mary's Thursday night. This season, all matches, except for the September 27 match, begin 6 p.m., a new time for Spartan fans.
Head coach Jolene Shepardson makes her Spartan Gym debut as she begins her first season at the helm of the San José State program. Shepardson came to the Spartans after coaching the past three seasons at Bakersfield. There, she turned the program around from 8-18 her first year to 21-12 in 2013.
Spartan fans will find many new faces on the court, 12 to be exact. The only returning players are senior libero Kiely Pieper and junior outside hitter Tyanna Roy. Two juniors, two sophomores and eight freshmen round out the squad.
San José State begins the week with a 0-3 record after traveling to North Carolina last week to play in the Elon Phoenix Classic. The Spartans fell to Liberty (0-3), Elon (1-3) and Maryland (0-3). Roy was named to the all-tournament after leading the team in kills in all three matches.
Live video of Thursday's match is available through the Mountain West Digital Network. Fans can find the link at www.sjsuspartans.com/videos. Live stats are also available on www.sjsuspartans.com.
San José State also plays two non-conference matches this Saturday, September 6, at UC Davis. The Spartans face Portland at 1 p.m., and UC Davis at 8 p.m. Live stats will be available for both matches.
The 2014 season is also the 30th anniversary of the 1984 Spartan team that reached the Final Four. Stay tuned for upcoming events honoring the team and all San José State volleyball alumni.