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| (Photo Courtesy: Tennessee State University Athletics) |
The Tigers will play in four contests and the classic marks the third tournament in as many weeks that the Tigers have participated in.
On Sept. 7, TSU will play a pair of opponents in Chattanooga and the host school Kennesaw State. The Tigers will square off against North Carolina Central and the University of Troy on the following day.
For Tennessee State (3-4), the classic will be an opportunity to get back in the win column after going 0-3 in last weekend's Portland Nike® Invitational. It could also allow TSU to get over .500 before heading into conference play.
So far this season, sophomore outside hitter Naomi Wells has been the team's most dominant offensive player. She currently is first in the conference in points with 111.5, and she has averaged 3.88 kills per set. Fellow sophomores Rachel Ambroch and Sherryce Butler have also played well, racking up 62 and 61 kills, respectively.
Junior setter Erika Moss has supported TSU attackers well during the young season, tallying a team-high 231 assists. She is also second on the team in service aces with seven.
Defensively, senior libero Britani Hathorn is the Tigers' leader in digs with 94, and freshman middle blocker Lindsay Hornsby has a team-high 15 blocks.
The first opponent that the Tigers will face in the KSU Owls Classic will be Chattanooga. The Mocs are 4-3 this season, but are winless on the road. If Chattanooga is to get its first road win at some point during this weekend's tournament, the team will need Paula Passmore (seven digs per set) to continue her strong work defensively.
In Friday's nightcap, Kennesaw State hosts the Tigers at 7 p.m. KSU also has a 4-3 record, including a win over Mississippi State on the road. Turea Jones has led the Owls on offense this season and averages a team-best 3.2 kills per set.
TSU will wake up early on Saturday morning and play fellow HBCU North Carolina Central- the third opponent of the classic. NCCU has struggled to a 1-8 start, but are currently second in the MEAC in hitting percentage, assists, kills and service aces.
The final opponent for the Tigers will be Troy at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Troy Trojans are 3-4 on the year, but two of their losses have been at Georgia and against Auburn. Courtney Cohen is the key player for Troy, and she sits at second in the conference in digs per set with 5.33.
The Tigers will be seeking their fourth win of the season when they play their first match of the KSU Owls Classic against Chattanooga on Sept. 7 at 2:30 p.m.
Follow TSU Athletics on Facebook.com/TSUTigers and Twitter @TSU_Tigers.
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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