Aug. 27, 2009

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PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball team will begin the defense of its 2008 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Northern Division title starting Friday when the Lady Hawks open the season at the Tribe Invitational, hosted by William & Mary at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va.

UMES faces MEAC opponent North Carolina A&T at noon on Friday, followed by the Tribe of the Colonial Athletic Conference in the nightcap at 7 p.m. Saturday's slate includes matchups with the Big Ten's Ohio State (noon) and Rider (5 p.m.), of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

The Lady Hawks were picked to repeat as northern division champions for the third consecutive season, garnering 257 points and 20 first-place votes in the preseason poll. Senior outside hitter Whitney Johnson (Prince Frederick, Md.) also earned a preseason First Team All-MEAC nod.

Third-year head coach Don Metil is ready for the season to begin.

"I'm excited to get the season started and to see where we are as a team," he said. "This tournament field should allow us to see some high-level competition and give us a chance to play our new players. It will also let us see the things we need to work on as a team in order to prepare for the conference schedule."

Follow all the action of the tournament with live stats and video at www.umeshawks.com.