Trojans Set to Open 2018 Season on Friday

Little Rock vs. North Alabama
Date	Aug. 24, 2018
Time	9 a.m.
Location	Jacksonville, Ala.
Arena	Kennamer Gym
Stats	StatBroadcast
Video	N/A

LITTLE ROCK – The 2018 season is set to begin for Little Rock volleyball as it travels to Jacksonville, Alabama, for the Jacksonville State Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Kennamer Gym.
 
The Trojans will face North Alabama and Mercer on Friday at 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively. On Saturday, Little Rock will face Lamar at 9 a.m. before concluding the invitational with host Jacksonville State at 2 p.m.
 
Little Rock has never faced Jacksonville State, Mercer or

Little Rock vs. Mercer
Date	Aug. 24, 2018
Time	4:30 p.m.
Location	Jacksonville, Ala.
Arena	Kennamer Gym
Stats	StatBroadcast
Video	N/A

North Alabama, but it has faced Lamar on 12 occasions. The Trojans are 5-7 in the all-time series against Lamar and 2-3 when facing the Cardinals on a neutral floor.
 
Little Rock brings back seven players from last year's roster, including three-year letterwinners Taylor Lindberg, Veronica Marin and Sydnee Martin. Lindberg averaged 9.22 assists per set in 2017 – the second-most among Sun Belt Conference returners from last season. Marin's .327 hitting percentage

Little Rock vs. Lamar
Date	Aug. 25, 2018
Time	9 a.m.
Location	Jacksonville, Ala.
Arena	Kennamer Gym
Stats	StatBroadcast
Video	N/A

ranked third in the league last year while she also put up the fourth-most blocks per set with 1.10. Martin had the fifth-most digs (507) and digs per set (4.53) in the league last season as her total of 507 ranked as the third-most in team history.
 
Over the summer, Little Rock resupplied itself with a plethora of junior college talent by adding three NJCAA All-Americans.Pamela Zuluaga was the most decorated of the three incoming JUCO players as she secured First Team All-American honors for both the AVCA and NJCAA after posting

Little Rock at Jacksonville State
Date	Aug. 25, 2018
Time	2 p.m.
Location	Jacksonville, Ala.
Arena	Kennamer Gym
Stats	StatBroadcast
Video	N/A

1,212 assists (10.36 per set) in 2017 at Mineral Area College. Carol Barbosa was an NJCAA First Team All-American and AVCA Second Team All-American as she led Navarro College with 459 kills and a .302 hitting percentage. Diana Giordani (pronounced Gee-ON-uh) was an NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention and the Region XIV Conference Libero of the Year with 3.93 digs per set at Trinity Valley Community College.
 
QUICK HITS
 

• Should the Trojans win this weekend's invitational, it would be their first time doing so since winning the TCU Nike Invitational in 2014.
• A win against North Alabama would be Little Rock's first season-opening victory since 2008.
• If Little Rock earns two wins this weekend, it would be its first time doing so in the opening weekend of the season since 2012.
• The Trojans last recorded three wins in the opening weekend of action in 2008.
• The only time Little Rock picked up four wins on opening weekend was in 1998 at the UMKC Tournament.
• At 2,266 career assists, Taylor Lindberg is five assists shy of surpassing Maialla Hurga (2001-03) for the fifth-most assists in program history and is 36 away from passing Paula Morgan (1996-97) for the fourth-most.
• At 1,005 career digs, Sydnee Martin is 36 away from passing Amila Barakovic (2005-08) for the seventh-most in program history and is 38 away from passing Amy Hafner (2007-08) for the sixth-most.
• Sydnee Martin's next ace will give her 80 for her career – the ninth-most in program history.
• This is Little Rock's first-ever visit to Jacksonville State.
• Head coach Van Compton is beginning her 31st season with the program – tied for the 12th-most among active Division I head coaches.