By: Pam LaFosse
LAKE CHARLES—McNeese volleyball will hold its annual Blue/Gold Scrimmage this Saturday, August 19 at 1 p.m. at the Legacy Center. Admission is free to the scrimmage as well as all home matches this season.
Second year head coach Sasha Karelov has five players returning from the 2022 season along with 10 newcomers.
Returning this season is sophomore
Sanni Rantanen, the 2022 Southland Conference "Freshman of the Year" and junior
Bailey Tillman, the Louisiana "Libero of the Year". Also returning is senior
Nejra Hanic and juniors
McKenzie Moore and
Kendall Osgood.
The newcomers include transfers
Carissa Chainey (Feather River College),
Emma Hendricks (Central Wyoming College),
Kayla Wilson (Memphis), and
Revna Cakir (UTRGV).
Making their collegiate debut will be freshmen
Emmalynn Montes (Kingwood, TX.),
Megan Grose (Brighton, MI.),
Isabella Ceja (San Antonio, TX.),
Ella Swansiger (Tempe, AZ.),
Abigail Montes (Kingwood, TX.), and
Tshilanda Diouf (Marignane, France)
The regular season will begin with the War Eagle Invitational, Aug. 25-26 hosted by Auburn. The Cowgirls will face Coppin State at 10 a.m. in its season opener and Jacksonville State at 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 25 before closing out tournament action against Auburn at 10 a.m. Aug. 26
The Cowgirls' home opener is set for Sept. 5 against Southern in a 6:30 p.m. match with its Southland Conference opening match set for Sept. 14 at Texas A&M-Commerce.
2023 McNeese Volleyball HOME Schedule
Sept. 5 Southern (6:30 p.m.)/Welcome Back
Sept. 8-9 McNeese Invitational
Sept. 8 Southeast Missouri (6:30 p.m.)/White Out
Sept. 9 Jackson State (1 p.m.)
Sam Houston (6:30 p.m.)/Blue Out
Sept. 19 UL-Monroe (6:30 p.m.)/Ovarian Cancer Awareness
Sept. 23 *New Orleans (1 p.m.)/Alumni Day
Sept. 26 *Nicholls (6:30 p.m.)/Greek Night/Student Appreciation
Oct. 5 *Lamar (6:30 p.m.)/Battle of the Border/Most Valuable Professor
Oct. 12 *Northwestern State (6:30 p.m.)/Bayou Bash
Oct. 14 *Houston Christian (1 p.m.)/Camper Appreciation & Youth Day
Oct. 19 *Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (6:30 p.m.)/Breast Cancer Awareness
Oct. 26 *Incarnate Word (4 p.m.)/Club Appreciation
Oct. 28 *Texas A&M-Commerce (11 a.m.)/Halloween Day
Nov. 11 *Southeastern (11 a.m.)/Senior Day
*-Southland Conference Match
All HOME matches played at the Legacy Center
