Match 1
Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Cal State Fullerton
Match 2
Drake vs. Cal State Fullerton
Match 3
Bryant vs. Cal State Fullerton
Dates: Friday-Saturday, August 25-26
Times: 11 a.m. PT | 7:30 p.m. PT | 4:30 p.m. PT
Location: Fullerton, Calif.
Live Stats: FullertonTitans.com
FULLERTON, Calif. --- Cal State Fullerton will open up the 2017 campaign by welcoming in Fairleigh Dickinson, Drake and Bryant for the Titan Tournament this Friday and Saturday inside Titan Gym. The Titans will kick things off by playing Fairleigh Dickinson, Friday at 11 am PT, and then will take on Drake later that evening at 7:30 pm PT. Fullerton will conclude tournament play by taking on Bryant, Saturday at 4:30 pm PT. UC Riverside will also participate in the event, but will not play the Titans.
FOLLOW THE TITANS:
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titans athletics by following us on Facebook (FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans), Instagram (@FullertonTitans), and YouTube.com (YouTube.com/csfathletics). In addition, the volleyball team has established its own official Twitter page (@FullertonVB).
CATCH THE TITANS
Cal State Fullerton home volleyball matches will be broadcast live over the internet at FullertonTitans.com. The Titans also offer live streaming video for home volleyball matches courtesy of Big West TV. Fans can catch all the exclusive action from the comfort of their home computers. To access the links, click on the audio or live video links on the schedule page.
TICKETS
Tickets for all Titans home games can be purchased online at fullertontitans.com, or at the Cal State Fullerton Athletics Ticket Office, located in the Titan House on campus off of Gymnasium Drive on the northeast side of Titan Gym. Game day sales and will call tickets will open an hour prior to the scheduled time at the specific venue. All Cal State Fullerton students with a school ID get free admission.
TRENDING UP
Third year head coach Ashley Preston returns to helm of the Titan volleyball program with some positive momentum heading into the season. Fullerton looks to keep its win percentage climbing, as last year's 6-24 record was a six-game improvement from a year ago. The Titans return 10 letterwinners and seven starters from last year's squad.
FRIDAY, AUG. 25 VS. FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON || 11:00 A.M. PT
Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Cal State Fullerton
Series Record: First Meeting
First Meeting: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A
Current Streak: N/A
Last 10 Meetings: N/A
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON NOTES
This year's Fairleigh Dickinson squad will be under new guidance for the first time in a quarter-century. Interim head coach Andrea Nolan begins her first season at the helm after three seasons as longtime head coach Stacey Recanati's assistant. Recanati, who spent the last 26 seasons leading the Knights, has transitioned to an associate athletic director role in the Fairleigh Dickinson Athletic Department. In addition to their new coach, the 2017 roster consists of 10 underclassmen, including six freshmen. The Knights finished 3-29 overall in 2016 and compiled a 1-13 in conference play.
FRIDAY, AUG. 25 VS. DRAKE || 7:30 P.M.
Drake vs. Cal State Fullerton
Series Record: First Meeting
First Meeting: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A
Current Streak: N/A
Last 10 Meetings: N/A
DRAKE NOTES
The Bulldogs begin their fifth season under head coach Darrin McBroom aiming to improve upon last year's 17-15 record that was the program's best record since 2010 and the team's first winning campaign in six years. The Bulldogs eight MVC wins were also the team's most since 2010. Earlier this month, the Bulldogs were picked sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason coaches poll, the team's highest preseason ranking under McBroom in the always competitive MVC. Last season, the MVC was one of seven leagues to earn three or more NCAA bids, joining the Big Ten (8), Pac 12 (8), Big 12 (6), SEC (4), ACC (3), and Mountain West (3).
SATURDAY, AUG. 26 VS. BRYANT || 4:30 NOON
Bryant vs. Cal State Fullerton
Series Record: First Meeting
First Meeting: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A
Current Streak: N/A
Last 10 Meetings: N/A
BRYANT NOTES
Bryant is coming off a historic 2016 season in which it matched DI program records for overall wins (19) and league victories (10). The Bulldogs also set DI program single-season records for kills per set (13.44), attacking percentage (.197), assists (1537), assists per set (12.60), serve percentage (.936) and points per set (16.45).
GETTING OFFENSIVE
The Titans return their top scorers from a year ago in juniors Shimen Fayad and Madeline Schneider, who accumulated 330 kills and 309 kills respectively. Fayad averaged 3.17 kills per set and Schneider averaged 3.03 kills per set. Summer Kerins and Meagan Carlson each return to round out the rest of Fullerton's triple digit scorers from a year ago.
BLOCK PARTY
Junior middle blocker Kyra Smith, who led the Titans after leading the team in blocks in each of her first two seasons at Fullerton. The Inglewood, Calif., native finished her sophomore season with 95 total blocks (18 solo, 76 assists) to average 0.90 blocks per set.