BOCA RATON, Fla. – The University of West Alabama volleyball team will open the 2015 season on the road in the Courtyard Boca Raton Invitational hosted by Lynn University on Friday. The Tigers will face Sunshine State Conference and regional opponent Barry University at 3 p.m. in the first day of the tournament.
 
The tournament opens the third season with head coach Jordan Lay at the helm. The more experienced Tiger squad, who return five of its eight starters along with 11 letter winners, will look to build on the team's 9-21 overall record a year, having featured seven freshman.

"The sophomore and junior classes are deep and stacked for us," said Lay.

"It is a good thing for us with them being a year more matured and experienced. Having been through what we've been through in the past two seasons, we are hungrier than we have been in the past. I think we are a little bit more realistic with ourselves with new mindsets and really with just a new energy going into the season."

Lynn and Barton College are set to round out the competition for UWA on Saturday, with the Fighting Knights facing off with the Tigers at 10 a.m. and the Bulldogs at 2 p.m.
UWA's season opening opponent, Barry is coming off of 17-12 overall record from a season ago. Lynn finished fourth in the Sunshine State Conference standings in 2014, two places ahead of Barry with a 15-12 record. Barton enters its season having finished seventh in the Conference Carolina at 9-18.

This season the Tigers are led by only two seniors, Morgan Ray and Kimberly Hernandez. Ray is a four year veteran from Addison, Ala., while Hernandez, a native of Enterprise, Ala., is beginning her second season.

"We are excited to have Morgan back healthy, refreshed and refocused," Lay said. "It's excited to see her back playing to the level she is capable of playing. She has been real big for us at the net as well as with the leadership on the team. Kim has also stepped up into a leadership role after getting her feet wet last season. She continues to add a positive energy to the gym."

New to the UWA team this season are freshmen Jaime Lancellot of Naples, Fla. and Taylin McCarver of Alabaster, Ala. Each were named to the list of 2015 Top Newcomers to the Gulf South Conference. Both will join the squad as middle blockers and are a part of a class of three newcomers, which also features freshman Alex Fueling.

Also new to the team is the Tiger's assistant coach Alexis Meeks who, a former star setter at the Division I level, will look to improve UWA's setting game.

"Meeks brings a new level of intensity and charisma to the team this year," said Lay. "The ladies have really enjoyed being around her. She has introduced some great new ideas to the squad. There couldn't have been a better hire than Alexis Meeks to this program."