AU volleyball team prepares for 2024 season with scrimmage at USC Aiken
Staff report
AIKEN, S.C.—The Augusta University volleyball team lost in five sets in a preseason scrimmage at rival USC Aiken on Aug. 24 at the Convocation Center.
Jaguar Coach Sharon Quarles used several different combinations in this first scrimamge of the preseason. The Jaguars have six new players to go with nine returnees.
USCA won the first two sets, but Augusta rallied to win the third and fourth.
The coaches decided to play a fifth set to 25, instead of the usual 15 points. The Pacers won the finale 25-20.
“I believe that we began to finally have more fun towards the end of the match after realizing that we can trust one another to do what it is we are called on the court to do,” said AU middle blocker Madelyn Eden, a graduate student from Mulberry, Fla. “Though we did not win, in the end, I'm so enthusiastic that we learned just how much more exciting it could be once we've found our groove. Just you wait: The Jaguars aren't full just yet.”
AU will play its annual Blue-Grey intra-squad scrimmage on Friday, Aug. 30, at 6 p.m. in Christenberry Fieldhouse.
The Jaguars are coming off a 29-5 season. They won both the Peach Belt regular-season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen before losing in the region final to Anderson.
Augusta will open its regular-season campaign on Sept. 6 at the Florida Southern Tournament in Lakeland, Fla. The opening match is with Palm Beach Atlantic. The Jaguars will also play Lewis University and Florida Southern.
AU’s Jada Suguturaga (13) goes for the kill in AU’s friendly preseason match with the USC Aiken Pacers. At the top of the page, Madelyn Eden (15) goes for the tip for the Jaguars as teammates Janvier Buggs (23) and Abigail LeVines (10) watch. (photos by Rachel Carman)
The Jaguars’ Riley Harris delivers a serve in the preseason scrimmage with USC Aiken. Harris had 29 aces last season for the 29-5 Peach Belt Conference champion Jaguars. (photo by Rachel Carman)
