March 23, 2006
ORLANDO - The UCF volleyball team opens its spring season on Saturday, heading west to Tampa to participate in a tournament hosted by USF. The Golden Knights will scrimmage against Georgia Southern, Nova Southeastern, Tampa and the host Bulls.
UCF began team practice on Feb. 27 and will work on improving as a squad until April 21.
"The spring season has gone very well so far. The dedication and focus on the court and in the weight room is certainly paying off," said UCF head coach Meg Colado. "We are looking forward to playing other teams starting this weekend."
In addition to playing in Tampa on Saturday, Colado's team will participate in two other tournaments, including one at home.
The Golden Knights will welcome six teams to the Education Gym on campus on April 15 for the UCF Spring Tournament. Georgia, Miami, North Florida, USF, Stetson and Tampa will participate in the event, which is free and open to the public.
Before hosting its own tournament, UCF will participate in North Carolina's annual play date in Chapel Hill on April 8. In addition to UCF, the event features a pair of teams that participated in the NCAA Championship a year ago.
Host North Carolina went 23-10 in 2005 and claimed the Atlantic Coast Championship title to earn a spot in the postseason. The Golden Knights will also face Colorado at the event. The Buffaloes earned an at-large invitation to the NCAA Championship and concluded the year with a 15-13 mark.
UCF returns six letterwinners from its 2005 squad.