JOPLIN, Mo. - The SWOSU Volleyball team is kicking off the 2019 season this weekend in Joplin, Missouri, where they will participate in the Missouri Southern Lion Classic.
 
SWOSU will meet Black Hills State on Friday at 9:00 am before taking on Wayne State at 5:00 pm, before concluding the event on Saturday by taking on CSU-Pueblo at 11:00 am and the host Missouri Southern at 7:00 pm.
 
SWOSU was voted first in the GAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Bulldogs finished with an overall record of 21-7 last season, which included a 13-3 record against GAC competition. They finished second place in the league during the regular season and advanced to the semifinals of the GAC Tournament for the third time in the past four seasons. The Bulldogs return senior libero Kaitlyn Dillon, the reigning GAC Defensive Player of the Year, senior middle hitter Sofia Gruden who was named to Second Team All-GAC selection, and junior setter Allie Hoang who earned honorable mention all-conference honors last season.
 
Black Hills State was picked to finish 10th in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason poll after ending 2018 with a record of 6-12. This will be the first meeting between the two schools. Wayne State was picked to finish 4th in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference preseason poll after ending 2018 with a record of 22-9. SWOSU is 0-2 against Wayne State with their last meeting being in 2013. CSU-Pueblo was picked to finish 11th in the RMAC preseason poll after ending 2018 with a record of 5-22. SWOSU is 1-3 against CSU-Pueblo with their last meeting being in 2017. Missouri Southern was picked to finish 9th in the MIAA preseason poll after ending 2018 with a record of 3-25. SWOSU is 0-2 against Missouri Southern with their last meeting being in 2010.
 
Live coverage links to each match are available at SWOSUAthletics.com and live updates will also be posted on the @SWOSUVolleyball Twitter account.