RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - The Arkansas Tech Volleyball Team will face Arkansas-Monticello in their first home game of the 2021 season tomorrow Tuesday, September 13 at 6 p.m. in Tucker Coliseum.

Coming into the match UAM is 5-4, winning five out of their last six. Last season, the Cotton Blossoms ended with a 6-6 overall record and finished with a 5-5 conference record that ended with a quarterfinals post season run in the GAC tournament.

The Golden Suns (3-3) will try and bounce back with a nice win in their home opener against a conference opponent, who they are 29-6 against all time. Leading the way for Tech on offense during Tuesday's home opener will be Tymber Riley and Emily Ragsdale who have each recorded at least 50 kills on the season. Riley leads the team with 55 total kills. Ragsdale recorded an impressive 10 kill 11 block double-double in their last match against Midwestern State.

Pacing the offense will be junior setter Brianna Merkel averaging 6.57 assists per set with 138 total assists on the season. Merkel contributed a season high 35 assists in the Golden Suns match against Eastern New Mexico during the Midwestern State Invitational in Texas last Friday.

On defense, senior libero Madison Grantham leads in total digs with 65 while averaging 3.10 digs per set. Grantham recorded 18 digs, her season high, against nationally ranked #22 Colorado Mesa last Saturday. Freshman Trysta Foster follows behind Grantham with 35 digs on the season and defensive specialist Meagan Solberg has 32 total digs.

For blocks, nine have put up numbers with three members of the Golden Suns having double-digit numbers in blocks. Leading all in blocks is Emily Ragsdale with 24. Merkel follows Ragsdale with 15 blocks on the season and Kaitlynn Bradley has recorded 12. All three favor blocks assisted compared to solo.

Tomorrow night's home opener will also be Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night.