Lady Panthers to Open 2022 Season at Clinton College
GREENVILLE, SC - The Claflin University volleyball team will make an official return to action, Thursday when the team heads to Greenville, South Carolina to take on the Clinton College Golden Bears. The Lady Panthers will look to follow up a successful 2021 season and take a step forward this season. Their efforts will begin when they open the season at Clinton.
After completing a successful 2021 season, the Lady Panthers will have a lot to prove during the upcoming season. The Lady Panthers completed the 2021 season with a 15-10 overall record and an 11-5 record in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play. The team's success came as a bit of a surprise since the Lady Panthers were picked to finish eighth in the 2021 CIAA Preseason Volleyball Predicted Order of Finish. The team defied the odds to complete the regular season with a 11-5 record in CIAA play. The was not done as they earned a fifth place seeding and went on the road to upset the fourth seeded Virginia State Trojans to advance to the semifinal round of the 2021 CIAA Volleyball Championship Tournament. This season, the Lady Panthers won't surprise anyone with as they were picked to finish fifth in the 2022 CIAA Preseason Volleyball Predicted Order of Finish.
If the Lady Panthers are to live up to and surpass their expectations this season, the team will need to get things started with a strong start, Thursday. The team will take on a Clinton team that has compiled a 1-3 record thus far. The two teams will meet for the first time in both teams' histories when they take the court, Thursday.
Leading the way for the Lady Panthers will be the senior duo of utility
Simone Newell and outside hitter
Mya Broom. Last season, Newell led the Lady Panthers in both kills (194) and digs (273) and she earned a spot on the 2021 CIAA All-Conference Team as well as the 2022 CIAA Pre-Season All-Conference Team. Broom finished the 2021 season ranked second on the team in kills (178). She also added 53 total blocks (seven solo). For her efforts, she was named to the 2022 CIAA Pre-Season All-Conference Team as well.
Across the net, the Lady Panthers will face a very inexperienced team, but they will tough to compete against. The Golden Bears feature eight freshmen with just two upperclassmen. It is freshman middle blocker Jessica Lawson who leads the way for the team. Fellow freshman Love Landon and Amoni Washington who will also pose a challenge for the Lady Panthers.
The two teams are set to tip off, Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. in Greenville, South Carolina. For more information on Lady Panthers volleyball, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletics Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to
www.athletics.claflin.edu.
