LAKE CHARLES—McNeese volleyball will begin its season at the end of the month when the Cowgirls open the 2019 campaign at the Robert Morris Invitational August 30-31. The squad will report to campus in the evening on Aug. 6 to prepare for meetings and photos on Aug. 7. First practices are set for Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
 
Before the regular season opener in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, the Cowgirls will conduct a Blue/Gold match on Saturday, Aug. 17 at 4:30 p.m. This will be the first glimpse of the squad who will be playing all home matches in the new H&HP Complex.
 
An exhibition match at Louisiana Tech on Aug. 24 will be the final tune-up prior to the season opener against Elon.
 
The regular season home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 3 against Houston. 
 
Season tickets are currently on sale for $40 and can be purchased online at mcneesesports.com, in person, or by calling the ticket office (337) 562-4MSU(678).
 
McNeese returns nine letter winners from the 2018 season including seven players who are upper classmen that have either started are have seen quality time on the court. Eight new players were added to the team during the offseason including transfers Lauren Burt (UNLV), Kendall Kilchrist (Incarnate Word), Alexis Lambert (St. Francis University), and most recently Regan Stiawalt (Wichita State). Also joining the team will be freshmen Clair Mills (Houston, TX.), Macee Krpec (Nada, TX.), Callie Craus (Grapevine, TX.), and Ajani Hodges (Forth Worth, TX.).
 
Included in the nine letter winners are four seniors (Angela McGownd,  Haley Schneider, Katelyn Elliott, and Keegan Nelms). Nelms is a 2018 returning All-Southland Conference second team selection.
 
Also returning from 2018 are juniors Caitlin Sharrock, Allison Lippert, Madison Fontenot, and sophomores Avery Kelly and Kendall Glueck.
 
The Cowgirls return their top two kill leaders in Nelms (314) and Elliott (274). Nelms was also second on the team with 254 digs and 21 service aces. Sharrock led the team with 636 and 31 service aces a year ago.
 
The back row will be led by McGownd, who has led the team in digs the past two season and enters her senior season ranked fourth in McNeese career digs per set (3.86) and sixth in career digs (1,307).
 
At the net, Lippert returns after finishing second on the team last year with 108 blocks.  
 
The rest of the schedule has the Cowgirls taking part in three regular season tournaments including its own McNeese Round Robin slated for Sept. 20. Grambling and UL-Monroe will take part in the one-day tournament.
 
McNeese will also take part in the Robert Morris Sheraton Invitational (Aug. 30-31) with matches against Elon, Manhattan and Robert Morris.
 
One week later, the Cowgirls will travel to UL-Lafayette for the Sawyer Camillo Memorial Volleyball Classic. McNeese will face UL-Lafayette in their opening match of the tournament then will take on Florida A&M and Eastern Michigan.
 
Other non-conference home matches slated for McNeese will be against Texas Southern and Prairie View while the only other non-conference match for McNeese will be a return match to UL-Monroe.
 
The Southland Conference schedule has the Cowgirls hosting Abilene Christian, Stephen F. Austin, Houston Baptist, Lamar, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Incarnate Word, Southeastern La. and Nicholls.
 
McNeese will also play Southeastern La., Nicholls, Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin on the road along with matches at Central Arkansas, New Orleans, Northwestern State, and Sam Houston State.
 
Aug. 17 Blue/Gold Scrimmage
Aug. 24 at La Tech (exhibition)
Aug. 30-31 at Robert Morris Sheraton Invitational
SEPT. 3 HOUSTON
Sept. 6-7 at UL-Lafayette Sawyer Camillo Memorial Volleyball Classic
SEPT. 10 TEXAS SOUTHERN
SEPT. 17 PRAIRIE VIEW
SEPT. 20 McNEESE ROUND ROBIN
Sept 22 at UL-Monroe
Sept. 26 *at Southeastern La.
Sept. 28 *at Nicholls
OCT. 3 *ABILENE CHRISTIAN
OCT. 5 *STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
Oct. 8 *at Central Arkansas
OCT. 12 *HOUSTON BAPTIST
Oct. 15 *at New Orleans
Oct. 19 *at Northwestern State
OCT 22 *LAMAR
Oct. 24 *at Sam Houston State
OCT. 31 *TEXAS A&M-CC
NOV. 2 *INCARNATE WORD
NOV. 7 * SOUTHEASTERN LA.
NOV. 9 *NICHOLLS
Nov. 14 *at Abilene Christian
Nov. 16 *at Stephen F. Austin
Nov. 22-24 Southland Conference Tournament (Conway, Arkansas)
 
*-SLC Match