WILMINGTON, Del. - Looking to begin the season on a positive note, the Goldey-Beacom College volleyball team will open its 2013 campaign by participating in the Tony Banner Invitational hosted by Clarion University on Friday, Sept. 6 and Saturday, Sept. 7.

The Lightning will play four matches during the two-day event. After beginning the tournament against the host Golden Eagles on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m., Goldey-Beacom will face Concord at 5 p.m. In the second day of the tournament, the Lightning will play against Ohio Dominican at 11 a.m. and Edinboro at 5 p.m.

Coach Rich Bowers, who returns for his 10th season as the Lightning's leader, returns eight letter winners from last year's team, including junior outside hitter Kadi McCoy (Dallastown H.S./Dallastown, Pa.). McCoy, who will serve as the Lightning's team captain this season, is a two-time honorable mention All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference selection who has led Goldey-Beacom in kills in each of the last two years.

Entering the 2013 season, McCoy ranks fifth in school history with 623 career kills. She ranked 12th in the CACC as a freshman by averaging 2.64 kills per set.

Meanwhile, the Lightning will also look to junior outside hitter Taylor Moyer (Blue Mountain H.S./Schyulkill Haven, Pa.) on the offensive side of the court. One of three players to play in all 99 sets last year, she ranked second on the team with 199 kills and 50 total blocks. In a four-set win over Bowie State, she posted a season-high 18 kills while recording a .485 hitting percentage.

Picked to finish second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's West Division, the Golden Eagles advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the ninth time in the last 11 years last season after posting a 24-12 record.

Senior right side hitter Hannah Heeter (Cranberry H.S./Seneca, Pa.) returns as the Golden Eagles' top player after earning all-region and all-conference honors last year. She ranked third on the team with 285 kills while hitting .259. She also posted 102 blocks and was named as the PSAC's Pete Nevins Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Coach Jennifer Mills is in her seventh season at the helm for Clarion and is the program's all-time career wins leader with 145 victories.

Coming off a 15-19 season a year ago, Concord University earned its third straight berth in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and is picked to finish seventh in the Mountain East Conference this year.

Junior middle hitter Sarah Jones (Forest Park H.S./Woodbridge, Va.) is the Mountain Lions' leading offensive threat after earning second team All-WVIAC notice last year. Jones, who recorded nine "double double" efforts last year, led the Mountain Lions with 367 kills while contributing 92 blocks, 26 service aces and 248 digs.

Entering the 2013 season, Jones already ranks sixth on the Mountain Lions' all-time kills list.

Meanwhile, senior Jasmin Sutherland (Spring Valley H.S./Spring Valley, N.Y.) led the Mountain Lions with 111 blocks and tallied 168 kills while posting a .200 hitting percentage. She had at least five blocks in a match nine times and ranks seventh on the Mountain Lions' career list with 224 blocks.

After a 13-16 record last year, including a 7-11 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Ohio Dominican was picked to finish fifth in the GLIAC's South Division according to the conference's head coaches. The Panthers welcome back 13 letter winners from last year's team, but have just two seniors on their roster this season.

Sophomore outside hitter Tory Thompson (Riverside H.S./Quincy, Ohio) led the Panthers with 323 kills last year while contributing 315 digs, which ranked second on the team. In addition, she had 46 blocks with 18 service aces. Meanwhile, sophomore outside hitter Darby Slavin (Bishop Watterson H.S./Columbus, Ohio) was the Panthers' primary setter last year and recorded 872 assists while adding 247 digs and 32 blocks.

In her 25th season as the Panthers' coach, Sandy Rowley has guided Ohio Dominican to 469 victories, including a school-record 35 wins during the 1995 season. The Panthers have won at least 20 matches in 12 of Rowley's 24 previous campaigns.

Selected to finish fifth in the PSAC's West Division by the conference's head coaches, Edinboro finished in a tie for sixth place in the PSAC's West Division last year after earning an 11-22 record, including a 7-12 mark in league play. The Fighting Scots, who have just one senior on their roster this year, are led by junior Tabitha Meeks (Padua Franciscan H.S./Highland Heights, Ohio), who had a team-high 313 kills last year while ranking third on the squad with 259 digs.

Meanwhile, sophomore outside hitter Marah Maycock (Randolph Central H.S./Kennedy, N.Y.) contributed 297 kills and 345 digs while sophomore middle hitter Megan Branchick (North Olmsted H.S./North Olmsted, Ohio) tallied 242 kills.

In her ninth season as the Fighting Scots' coach, Missy Soboelski has posted a 186-103 record at Edinboro and has led the Fighting Scots to the NCAA Division II Tournament in five of the last six years.

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