Cincinnati State set to usher in new era of volleyball

By Nick Novy/Cincinnati State Sports Information

Cincinnati, OH---History will be made for the Cincinnati State athletic program this weekend when Head Coach Kristy Bailey and Cincinnati State's volleyball team plays its first match at the Vincennes Trailblazer Invitational.

Friday's contest against John A. Logan College will mark the first time Cincinnati State has fielded a volleyball team in over two decades. While the new program is in its infancy, Coach Bailey has high expectations for the season.

"We have some talented girls that are eager for the season to begin. Whether you're a new program or an established one, the goal should always be to win," Coach Bailey says. "We all are excited to get the season started off the right way this weekend."

Adding volleyball became attractive to Cincinnati State following last summer's renovation of the school's gym. Additionally, the college annually receives dozens of inquiries from high school seniors interested in playing the sport. Volleyball joins the Cincinnati State intercollegiate program that includes men's soccer, women's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball and men's golf. Those existing teams have made a total of seven appearances in the NJCAA national championships over the past four years.

"Volleyball is a very popular sport that is played at a very high level in the Greater Cincinnati area," stated athletic director Tom Hathaway. "Coach Bailey has done a great job of capitalizing on the high school and club talent in our area and has built a program in a short period of time. Our ultimate goal is to compete among the best in our conference and region, as our other teams do."

On Friday, the Lady Surge will take on John A. Logan at 5 pm followed by a match against tournament host Vincennes University at 7 pm.

The tournament will conclude on Saturday with Cincinnati State taking on Rend Lake and Lakeland.

For a complete 2013 schedule, please visit - http://www.cincinnatistate.edu/on-campus/athletics/volleyball/2013-volleyball-schedule

ABOUT CINCINNATI STATE

Cincinnati State (www.cincinnatistate.edu) offers more than 100 associate degree and certificate programs in business technologies, health and public safety, engineering technologies, humanities and sciences and information technologies. Cincinnati State has one of the largest cooperative education programs in the United States.