Jaguar volleyball team opens season at Embry-Riddle tournament
By Rachel Carman | Sports writer
The AU volleyball team opens its 2023 season on Sept. 1 and 2, as the Jaguars hit the road for the Bahama House Labor Day Classic hosted by Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The defending regular-season Peach Belt Conference champion Augusta volleyball team will take the floor against four teams.
The Jags begin with a matchup against Drury University on Friday at 2:30 p.m. and will then go on to face Embry-Riddle University at 7 p.m. Come Saturday, the Jags take Wingate at 12:15 p.m. and later face Emmanuel College at 4:45 p.m.
After winning the 2022 PBC regular season championship and being picked as the 2023 PBC preseason favorite, the Jaguars have made a name for themselves. With seven returning seniors, alongside All-PBC preseason selections Jazmyn Wheeler and Jada Suguturaga, AU is one of the teams to beat in this weekend’s tournament.
If the Jags continue to perform like they did in the 2022 season, we will see them reach the NCAA Division II Southeast regional tournament for the fifth year in a row.
One of the biggest matches this weekend will be on Saturday at 12:15 p.m. when the Jaguars face the Bulldogs from Wingate University. As No. 1 seed for the 2022 NCAA-II championship, Wingate swept the regionals and advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Flagler College, who took out No. 2 seed Augusta.
The contest with Wingate will give Coach Sharon Quarles and her players an early indication of how they stack up regionally.
AU will play in the Pacer Invitational in Aiken, S.C., on Sept. 8 and 9. In that tournament, the Jaguars will play North Greenville, Carson-Newman, Lenoir-Rhyne and Belmont Abbey.
Contact Rachel Carman at racarman@augusta.edu.
AU libero Dariana Luna lines up a serve during the annual Blue and Grey scrimmage match at Christenberry Fieldhouse. At the top of the page, Kayli Cleaver (11) goes for the kill during the Blue and Grey scrimmage match. Augusta opens its season Friday at 2:30 p.m. against Drury University in Daytona Beach, Fla. (photos by Rachel Carman)
