BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford volleyball team enters the 2018 season with an experienced team returning. The Bulldogs return all but one of the key players off of the program's 2017 squad.
 
"We talk about the wealth of knowledge you need on a team to pass down from one class to the next and I think we have a strong foundation moving forward, for sure," Samford head coach Keylor Chan said.
 
The Bulldogs were picked to finish fourth in the Southern Conference's preseason poll. Senior outside hitter Krista Boesing was named to the SoCon's preseason All-Conference team.
 
The Bulldogs were a young team in 2017 that improved as the season progressed. Chan said he hopes to see this team continue to improve from last season's performance.
 
"We graduated so many of the kids that handled the ball on the back row for us from the year before last," Chan said. "Last year was kind of a mixed bag with that, but I think with the experience coming back, with some kids coming back from injury and a freshman that handles the ball for us, I think that will be remedied. And, I think, when we get a chance and we handle the ball, we're pretty good and we'll need to be to have a chance this season."
 
The volleyball team will open its season this weekend, hosting the Courtyard by Marriott Samford Invitational at the Pete Hanna Center. Samford will take on McNeese State Friday at 12:30 p.m., Loyola Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Kennesaw State Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
The pre-conference schedule also includes contests with Ole Miss, Ohio State, Virginia Tech and Alabama. Chan said he hopes the pre-conference schedule will prepare his team for the always-tough Southern Conference slate.
 
"I think the biggest thing is you just want to see where you are," Chan said. "You don't know where you are unless you're starting to compete with some really good teams. We want to be tested. We want teams to pick on things. We want to see the things we're struggling with and the things we are erroring out on. Then we'll want to get back in our gym and work on it. I think that's what we're hoping to do. Hopefully we can see those things without taking a loss. But, at the end of the day, it's about getting better and getting ready for conference, and I know that we'll have a challenging non-conference schedule that will prepare us for the SoCon regular season."
 
A LOOK AT THE TEAM BY POSITION
 
OUTSIDE HITTERS
Senior Krista Boesing, and sophomore Kendal Strand return to the team as outside hitters. Last season, Boesing ranked second in the Southern Conference in kills with 501, averaging 4.11 per match. Strand tallied 118 kills last season.
 
Joining that duo will be freshman Lauren Deaton, and sophomore Sinclaire Green, who could see time in the middle and on the outside. Chan said Boesing and Deaton will most likely get the starting nod on the left side.
 
On the right side, Kelsi Hobbs and Elise Watford return as veterans to the position. Hobbs was second on the squad with 384 kills a season ago. Watford saw action in 15 matches, tallying 61 kills.
 
"We expect a lot of production from that position, both in attacking and blocking-wise," Chan said. "Overall, that's six athletes we feel good about at those positions for us. We still need to get a little healthier, but if we can get some of those athletes back and cleared, it will really help us."
 
MIDDLE
Junior Shayla Phillip and sophomore Sierra Rayzor return as the starters in the middle. Rayzor led the team in blocks last season with 93, while Phillip was second in the category with 78 last season.
 
Freshman Briana Holmes is the newcomer in the middle. Green could also see time at the position as well this season.
 
"Overall, we feel really good about the middles," Chan said. "We have three middles that are competing for time, and again we are cross-training Sinclaire to help the program in a lot of ways, and she is an athlete who could come in and really compete and win a spot too. So there are four middles that really could play this year."
 
SETTERS
Samford returns two experienced setters to this year's squad. Senior Taylor Anderton and sophomore Corinne Meglic both saw time at the position in 2017. Anderton ranked fifth in the SoCon with 1,135 assists last season. Meglic, who stepped into the position for the last month of last season, tallied 213 assists.
 
"The setting piece is going to be really nice for us this year," Chan said. "Either athlete could win the starting job, they're both really good setters for us."
 
DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS/LIBEROS
Senior Alana Schouten returns as the starter at defensive specialist from last season. Grace Tiesman was the team's starting libero a year ago. Tiesman led the team and ranked seventh in the SoCon with 469 digs last season. Schouten tallied 62 digs in 2017.
 
Also competing for time will be junior Courtney Johnson and sophomore Gabbi Cerasoli. Johnson finished last season with 72 digs for the Bulldogs.
 
"We feel that we have a good group of liberos and DS's," Chan said. "We need them to really help us pass the ball and defend the ball behind the block, and really initiate our offense."