LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Off to the school's best start since the 2009 Gulf Southern Conference Co-Eastern Division Championship year, the 2011 University of West Alabama volleyball team (9-3) is set to entertain GSC foes West Georgia and Valdosta State Friday and Saturday at Pruitt Hall.

UWA begins the weekend with a 7 p.m. match Friday night against UWG. The Tigers then turn around Saturday for a 2 p.m. contest with the Blazers.

“We are very excited to finally start conference play,” head coach Tabitha Turner stated. “I am pleased with our team's performance in the non-conference portion of the schedule, but I feel like we still have a lot to prove in the GSC.”

Through 12 matches, the Tigers have been paced by a strong performance from the group's senior class. Earlier this season, Alexis McHale broke the school's all-time career assist mark with 3,925 in her time at UWA. Meanwhile, Casey Byrnes leads the team with 137 digs on the year and Angela Sanders holds the team-lead for kills with 149. Also, junior Chanel Davis leads the Tigers with a hitting percentage of .425.

When the Red and White take the court Friday, the team will be playing a UWG squad that is so far 4-10 in the early season. The Wolves lost their opening conference match against Valdosta State, falling 3-0 to Valdosta State.

On Saturday, UWA faces a Blazer team that is 8-4 on the year, but holds an 0-2 record on the road so far this season.

Following this weekend's GSC opener, the Tigers travel to Huntsville, Ala., to take on Alabama-Huntsville on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.

Fans can follow the Tigers on Facebook (www.facebook.com/UWAathletics) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/UWAVolleyball). Additionally, fans may also sign up to receive SMS text alerts at www.uwaathletics.com.