EMPORIA STATE VOLLEYBALL TO OPEN SEASON AT WASHBURN TOURNAMENT

Emporia State Hornets (0-0, 0-0 MIAA)
at Washburn Invitational
vs. Black Hills State (0-0, 0-0 RMAC)
Friday, Sept. 4 • 11:00 a.m. • Topeka, Kan. • Lee Arena • Live Stats
Series Record: First Meeting
vs. Drury (0-0, 0-0 GLVC)
Friday, Sept. 4 • 4:00 p.m. • Topeka, Kan. • Lee Arena • Live Stats
Series Record: ESU leads 11-3 Last Meeting: ESU 3, at Drury 0 (Aug. 24, 2007)
vs. Augustana (SD) (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
Saturday, Sept. 5 • 9:30 a.m. • Topeka, Kan. • Lee Arena • Live Stats
Series Record: Augie leads 1-0 Last Meeting: at Mo. West. Invitational ESU 0, #12 Augie 3 (1992)
vs. South Dakota Mines (0-0, 0-0 RMAC)
Saturday, Sept. 5 • 1:30 p.m. • Topeka, Kan. • Lee Arena • Live Stats
Series Record: ESU leads 1-0 Last Meeting: at MSSU Invitational ESU 3, SD Mines 0 (Oct. 11, 2013)
Up Next: at Lindenwood Invitational • Friday, Sept. 11 - Saturday, Sept. 12
St. Charles, Mo. • Hyland Arena

OPENING UP
Emporia State opens their 43rd season of intercollegiate volleyball and their 11th under coach Bing Xu at the Washburn Invitational. The Hornets have won eight straight season openers and nine of ten under coach Xu. Emporia State ended last season ranked sixth in the MIAA with an overall record of 15-12.

THE COACH
Bing Xu is 226-98 in his 11th year as the head coach at Emporia State. He has led the Hornets to five NCAA Tournaments.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State ended the 2014 season 16-12, finishing sixth in the MIAA standings. Three freshmen will be added to the starting lineup, Jamie Hauptman, Emma Benton, and Tatum Graves but will be lead by juniors Shayla Cotman, Josie Williams, Kimberly Bell, and Kelly Holden.

ABOUT BLACK HILLS STATE
Last year the Black Hills Yellow Jackets ended the season 10-18 overall and 7-11 in their conference, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Emporia State will face off the Black Hills Yellow Jackets for the first time in the Hornet's Volleyball program's history. This will be the first meeting between Emporia State and Black Hills State.

ABOUT DRURY
Last year Drury University ended the season 16-11 overall and 7-11 in their conference, the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
Emporia State played Drury University in Joplin, Mo. and defeated them back in 2007 in three sets, 30-22, 30-23, 30-17. This will be the 15th meeting between Emporia State and Drury University. The Hornets lead the all-time series 11-3.

ABOUT AUGUSTANA
Last year the Augustana Vikings ended the season 18-10 overall and 11-9 in their conference, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Emporia State lost to the #12 Vikings in 1992 in a three set sweep at the Missouri Western Invitational. This will be the 2nd meeting between Emporia State and Augustana. The Vikings lead the all-time series 1-0.

ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
Last year the South Dakota Hardrockers ended the season 13-11 overall.
Emporia State defeated the Hardrockers back in 2013 in three sets at the Missouri Southern Invitational. In their last match up, a freshmen at the time, Kelly Holden averaged 6.0 digs per set, finishing with 18 in the match win. This will be the 2nd meeting between Emporia State and SD Mines. The Hornets lead the all-time series 1-0.

NEXT SERVE
The next games for the Hornets will be at the Lindenwood Invitational on Friday, Sept. 11 and Saturday Sept. 12. Games will be played at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo. The teams the Hornets will be facing are Northwood, Missouri - St. Louis, Harding, and Arkansas - Fort Smith.