The Dixie State College volleyball team had a day to spend with old friends during the Alumni game Saturday, but it now has its eyes set on coming home a winner after its tournament this weekend in Alaska.
The Red Storm start their season more than 3,000 miles away against Alaska Anchorage University, Western New Mexico University and Adelphi University.
Head coach Robyn Felder said it is an honor to play in the Alaska tournament because it’s invitation-only.
“We are really excited to be headed to Alaska,” Felder said. “It’ll be great to go to a high-caliber tournament with talented teams, and it will be great to see how the girls go up against other schools.”
Felder said she has been trying to prepare the team for Alaska by finding the right line-up.
“We have just been trying to find a line-up with chemistry and unity with the girls because we have a lot of skill,” Felder said.
Felder also said this tournament will help the team grow and give it the experience it needs to be successful.
“Alaska this time of year is the best time to go, so we’re excited to go somewhere new and exciting,” Felder said. “It’s somewhere we’ve never been before. We’ll get a lot of play in a short amount of time, and we’ll grow from it and figure stuff out.”
Freshman libero Haylee Wilkes, an English major from Sandy, said the team has been focused on starting the season on a good note.
“We go hard in the gym for three hours every morning,” Wilkes said. “We just sweat our guts out and work really hard.”
Wilkes said she would like the fans of Dixie State volleyball to attend games and support whenever they can.
The team starts its season away against Alaska Anchorage on Sept. 7 at 2 p.m.
