WEEKEND INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH GOLDEN SUNS *8-22 (6-10 GAC)	TEXAS A&M-INTERNATIONAL DUSTDEVILS *23-8 (13-3 LSC)	MISSOURI WESTERN GRIFFONS *11-18 (8-12 MIAA)	ILLINOIS-SPRINGFIELD PRAIRIE STARS *12-13 (5-7 GLVC)	MCKENDREE BEARCATS *9-16 (4-8 GLVC)
* - Records from 2022 season	Friday, September 1 | 9 a.m. TRAC | Springfield, Ill. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO	Friday, September 1 | 3 p.m. TRAC | Springfield, Ill. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO	Saturday, September 2 | 11 a.m. TRAC | Springfield, Ill. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO	Saturday, September 2 | 3 p.m. TRAC | Springfield, Ill. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

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FIRST SERVE 
The Arkansas Tech volleyball team is eager to hit the court for the first time in 2023 and will do so this weekend at the Capital City Tournament, hosted by Illinois-Springfield. In their first weekend of regular season action, the Golden Suns will play four matches total with two on Friday, September 1 and two and on Saturday, September 2.
 
Friday's matches will see the Golden Suns take on Texas A&M-International and Missouri Western. The A&M-International match will start everything off as first-serve is scheduled for 9 a.m. Later in the afternoon on Friday, the Golden Suns will play Missouri Western. That match is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
 
On day two of the tournament, the Golden Suns will take on host-school, Illinois-Springfield at 11 a.m. and then play McKendree at 3 p.m. later that day.
 

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TECH(NICALLY) SPEAKING
The Golden Suns enter their 2023 season looking to bounce back from a season ago and return to their traditional championship form. In pursuit of that, the Golden Suns return nine players from last year including their top hitter, setter and defensive specialist.
 
Maddi Siedenburg, a junior outside hitter from Wales, Wis., led the team in kills last season with 224. Local product Gracie Palmer returns for her senior season and figures to improve upon her setting numbers from last year when she led the team with 425 assists. Palmer also enters the year 372 assists shy of 1,000 for her career.
 
On the defensive side, junior Jamie Myrick is expected to take over the libero role. Last year as a defensive specialist, Myrick was second on the team with 272 digs while also leading the team in service aces with 40.
 
In addition to the returners, the Golden Suns bolstered their roster with nine newcomers. All but one of those new players come to Tech from the prep volleyball ranks with four of those being from the Natural State.
 

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SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Texas A&M-International
Last year, the Dustdevils engineered a complete turnaround in their program as they went 23-8 overall and were an impressive 13-3 in the Lone Star Conference. The year prior, the Dustdevils were 4-20 overall and 4-13 in the LSC. In fact, the double-digit win total for the Dustdevils was the first for the program since the 2012 season when they won 15 matches.
 
A&M-International was picked to finish seventh in the Lone Star this year according to the league's preseason coaches and media poll. In that same release, the Dustdevils had three players touted as "Players to Watch" with setter Emma Lade lauded as the preseason setter of the year. Last season as a freshman, Lade was named to the All-LSC Freshman Team and a place on the LSC First-Team after leading the conference with a 10.90 assist average. She helped the Dustdevils to third place finishes in the LSC regular-season and tournament in 2022.
 
Missouri Western
The Griffons are looking for their first winning season since 2019 after they finished the 2022 season 11-18 overall under then first-year head coach Jessica Fey. In league play, Missouri Western was 8-12 in the daunting MIAA. This year, the Griffons are predicted to finish seventh in the MIAA.
 
With a roster of 16, the Griffons have an equal split among freshmen and returners and are hopeful to build off a strong finish to the 2022 regular season in which they won their final three matches, including a 3-1 upset win over No. 17-ranked Washburn.
 
Illinois-Springfield
Tournament host, Illinois-Springfield, is coming off a 2022 season that saw them go 12-13 overall and 5-7 in the GLVC. This year, the Prairie Stars are projected to finish seventh in the GLVC.
 
Under the direction of third-year head coach Kamille Jones, the Prairie Stars are 13-7 at home and were 6-1 in home matches last season.
 
McKendree
Last season, the Bearcats finished with a 9-16 overall record and were 4-8 in the GLVC, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the GLVC Tournament as they lost out on a four-way tie for the eighth and final spot.
 
This year, the Bearcats are picked to finish 11^th in the GLVC according to the preseason coaches poll. Under the direction of 11-year head coach Nickie Sanlin, the Bearcats return the top-four hitters, who all eclipsed 100 kills last season. Two of those hitters, Brianna Binder and Colleen Preusser both notched over 225 kills.