By: by Jason Hanes
KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State's volleyball team will hit the road once again this weekend, but the trip will be different from most for many of the Owls. Playing at the UIC Invitational this Friday and Saturday, student-athletes such as senior Sabrita Gulley and Eman Burns will be playing in front of their friends and family for the first time in years.
"As a team, we are ecstatic to be heading to Chicago this weekend," said KSU head coach Karen Weatherington. "There are so many players on our team with connections to the area, including, of course, Sabrita and Eman. More than that, it's a chance for us to play against some very high-quality teams in Northern Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, and Memphis."
While Gulley (North Chicago, Ill.) and Burns (Joliet, Ill.) are making return trips to their de facto hometown, many other Owls will be playing in front of friends and family.
- Ceci Mattei: Played for two seasons at Loyola University Chicago
- Emily Bean: Played her high school volleyball in Indianapolis, just three hours away
- Sara Metroka: Played her high school volleyball in New Castle, Ind., four hours from Chicago
- Baylee Strachan: Hometown of Sioux City, Iowa, is closer to Chicago than any other stop this season for KSU
"It's a great chance for Sabrita and Eman to return to their hometown, but it's a great opportunity for our players from the midwest to have a good amount of support at their match," said coach Weatherington.
The Owls will face some stiff competition this weekend, starting with Northern Illinois on Friday evening at 5 p.m. CDT. The Huskies are 5-0 on the season after a 3-0 sweep of Bradley Tuesday night. NIU has yet to travel off of campus for a match, as all five matches played have been at home.
Saturday morning at 10 a.m. CDT, the Owls will face the host Flames of Illinois-Chicago. The Flames are 1-1 after opening up with a 3-2 win over DePaul and a 3-0 loss at the hands of Northwestern.
Saturday evening at 5 p.m. CDT, the Owls will wrap up the tournament against Memphis. The Tigers are 2-1 on the season, falling in the opening match of the year to Jacksonville State. Memphis then topped Belmont in Nashville, 3-2, and Miami (Ohio) 3-1.
Live audio for all of KSU's matches this weekend will be available free of charge via KSUOwls.com.
