2018 Sun Belt Volleyball News and Notes:
Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats

AROUND #SUNBELTVB
• Sun Belt volleyball serves up the opening weekend of the 2018 season with 37 matches featuring all 12 teams.

• Three matches against SEC opponents are slated for live coverage on SEC Network Plus – Coastal Carolina at Georgia and ULM at Mississippi State on Friday, Aug. 24 and Georgia State at Mississippi State on Saturday, Aug. 25. South Alabama's Saturday match against Dayton is scheduled to be carried live on ESPN+. 

• The preseason predictions, as voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches, tabbed Coastal Carolina as the East Division favorite and Texas State as the West Division favorite and Arkansas State senior outside hitter Carlisa May as Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Texas State junior defensive specialist Micah Dinwiddle as Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Arkansas State senior setter Ellie Watkins as Preseason Setter of the Year.

• Three preseason All-Sun Belt selections enter 2018 on course to break school records – May is 473 kills away from becoming Red Wolves’ all-time career kills leader, Dinwiddle is 627 digs away from becoming the Bobcats’ all-time career digs leader and Georgia Southern senior middle hitter Lauren Reichard is 109 blocks away from becoming the Eagles’ all-time career blocks leader.

• Texas State head coach Karen Chisum, entering her 39th season as a head coach, is the second longest-tenured active head coach at one school across all three NCAA divisions. She is Division I’s third-winningest active head coach and fourth-winningest female head coach. Chisum enters the season just 32 victories shy of becoming just the seventh coach in Division I history to reach the 900-win plateau.

• Three Sun Belt programs were listed among having the best 2018 signing classes by PrepVolleyball.com. A top source for high school and club volleyball news, PrepVolleyball.com listed Texas State as Highest Honorable Mention and Appalachian State and Troy as High Honorable Mention.

• The conference's first volleyball weekly awards (Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Setter and Freshman of the Week) will be announced on Monday, Aug. 27.

•  The 2018 Sun Belt Women’s Volleyball Championship is set for Nov. 15-18 at the GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta, Ga., hosted by Georgia State.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, August 24
1 - Georgia Southern at West Virginia, 9:00 a.m.
2 - Little Rock vs. North Alabama, 9:00 a.m.
3 - UTA at Arizona State, 1:00 p.m.
4 - ULM vs. California Baptist, 2:00 p.m.
5 - South Alabama vs. Ball State, 2:00 p.m.
6 - Appalachian State vs. The Citadel, 3:30 p.m.
1 - Georgia Southern vs. Wright State, 3:30 p.m.
7 - Arkansas State vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 4:00 p.m.
8 - Louisiana vs. Incarnate Word, 4:00 p.m.
9 - Texas State vs. Marquette, 4:00 p.m.
2 - Little Rock vs. Mercer, 4:30 p.m.
4 - Georgia State vs. Mississippi Valley State, 4:30 p.m.
10 - Coastal Carolina at Georgia (SEC+), 6:00 p.m.
11 - Southern at Troy, 6:30 p.m.
4 - ULM at Mississippi State (SEC+), 7:00 p.m.
 
Saturday, August 25
10 - Coastal Carolina vs. Illinois State, 9:00 a.m.
5 - South Alabama vs. Marshall, 9:30 a.m.
11 - Southeast Missouri State at Troy , 10:00 a.m.
7 - Arkansas State vs. Stephen F. Austin, 10:00 a.m.
8 - Louisiana vs. UTEP, 10:00 a.m.
9 - Texas State at Baylor, 10:30 a.m.
1 - Georgia Southern vs. UConn, 11:00 a.m.
2 -  Little Rock at Jacksonville State, 11:30 a.m.
4 - Georgia State vs. California Baptist, 11:30 a.m.
6 - Appalachian State vs. Coppin State, 11:30 a.m.
3 - UTA vs. New Mexico State, 12:00 p.m.
4 - ULM vs. Mississippi Valley State, 2:00 p.m.
11 - Southeastern Louisiana at Troy, 4:30 p.m.
2 - Little Rock vs. Lamar, 4:30 p.m.
10 - Coastal Carolina vs. Furman, 4:30 p.m.
4 - Georgia State at Mississippi State (SEC+), 4:30 p.m.
3 - UTA vs. Pacific, 4:30 p.m.
9 - Texas State vs. LSU , 5:00 p.m.
6 - Appalachian State at UNC Asheville, 5:30 p.m.
5 - South Alabama at Dayton (ESPN+), 6:30 p.m.
7 - Arkansas State at Memphis, 7:00 p.m.
8 - Louisiana at Tulane, 7:00 p.m.

Key:
1 - West Virginia Invitational (Morgantown, W. Va.)
2- Jacksonville State Invitational (Jacksonville, Ala.)
3 - Sun Devil Classic (Tempe, Ariz.)
4 - Starkvegas Classic (Starkville, Miss.)
5 - Dayton Invitational (Dayton, Ohio)
6 - UNC Asheville Tournament (Asheville, N.C.)
7 - Memphis Invitational (Memphis, Tenn.)
8 - Tulane I-10 Challenge (New Orleans, La.)
9 - Baylor Classic (Waco, Texas)
10 - Georgia Tournament (Athens, Ga.)
11 - Troy Invitational (Troy, Ala.)

All Times are Central and Subject to Change