By Ceara Hester |ContributorAugusta University’s volleyball team will kick off its fall season with a home tournament, hosting the annual Jaguar Rumble Tournament at the Christenberry Fieldhouse on Aug. 25-26.“It can’t get much better than this by being surrounded by your hometown, friends and family,” AU Coach Sharon Quarles said about beginning the season at home.The Jaguars' tourney will start with a match at noon on Saturday, Aug. 25 against Albany State. Later that evening, at 7 p.m., they will play against Mount Olive, followed by a 2:30 p.m. game against Montevallo on Aug. 26 to wrap up the tournament.Each opponent has something different to bring to the table, according to Coach Quarles, but she says her team will continue to play their best each game no matter who they are up against.There will also be some new faces on the court this season. Augusta University’s volleyball team signed five new players to complete their team of 18.“We are so well-balanced," she said. "(The new members) are going to bring things that we have lacked in the past. They’re going to have opportunities to step in and contribute immediately,” said Quarles, in her 10th season coaching the Jaguars.
As to what to expect at this tournament, Coach Quarles said: “It’s going to be a fun game environment. There will be a lot of fun and action. We have some big players at the net, scrappy players at the back, and playmakers within the setters.”The Jaguars are expected to finish third in the Peach Belt Conference, according to the preseason coaches' poll. Flagler College is the preseason favorite to win the league, with Georgia College next before Augusta. The finished in fourth place last season and made it the conference tourney semifinals.The Jaguars are led by last season's first-team all-conference choice McKenzey Beck, now a senior. Three other seniors will play key roles on the team, including Blair Bolton, Natalia Gouvela and Savanna Gonzales.For more information about the volleyball team and the upcoming season, go to AugustaJags.com.