Friday, August 29, 2008

MOREHEAD, Ky. - 2008 Atlantic Sun Conference champion Lipscomb opens its title defense Friday afternoon at the Comfort Inn and Suites Invitational hosted by Morehead State. The marquee match-up of the tournament comes Saturday afternoon when the Lady Bisons take on the 2007 Ohio Valley Conference champion and host Eagles.

Lipscomb earned its first-ever A-Sun championship last season navigating through the tournament led by 2007 A-Sun Freshman of the Year Jake Pease. Pease is top returning setter in the league in 2008 after leading the Lady Bisons and ranking second in the league with 12.27 assists per game last season.

2007 First-Team All-Conference selection Sarah Snider will once again pace the Lipscomb attack after leading the conference with 577 kills in 2007 for an A-Sun best 4.93 per game average. Joining Snider on the attack is 2007 A-Sun All-Freshman honoree Alex Kelly who racked up 341 kills and a team-best 115 total blocks a season ago.

The Lady Bisons picked up their highest-ever preseason ranking this year as the league’s coaches selected them for a second-place finish. Lipscomb is also one of two choices to earn the tournament title, splitting the vote with Belmont.

The Eagles enter the 2008 season coming off an Ohio Valley Conference regular season co-championship in 2007. MSU was 22-12 and 15-5 in the OVC last year. Senior setter Katelyn Barbour and senior middle blocker Erin Peak were named First-Team Preseason All-OVC, while senior outside hitter Ashley Doscher was a Preseason Second-Team All-OVC pick.

The Eagles also return junior record-setting libero Kristina Schoo, who led the team in aces last year, and sophomore setter Kirstie Brangers. Another key player is sophomore outside hitter Kaitlin Craven, who was named to the All-OVC Newcomer Team as a true freshman in 2007. MSU was picked to finish first in the conference this year in a preseason poll of head coaches, and the Eagles return more than 90 percent of the lineup from their OVC championship team of last season.

Lipscomb also faces off with Summit League foe Western Illinois and Missouri Valley Conference rival Indiana State at the weekend tournament.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.