BOONEVILLE, Miss. - A date is officially on the books for the highly anticipated debut of the Northeast Mississippi Community College volleyball program.
The Lady Tigers will kick off their inaugural campaign by traveling to nearby Rust College on Thursday, August 17.
It is the first of 34 matches for Northeast over the course of two-and-a-half months. The Lady Tigers will compete against a mixture of fellow two-year institutions plus NAIA and NCAA Division III junior varsity teams.
"All of us are getting very excited," said Northeast head coach Brenda Mayes. "This is a competitive schedule. The more competition we play the more consistent we'll become. We have set our goals at a high level."
Bonner Arnold Coliseum hosts its initial volleyball matchup on Monday, August 28 as the Lady Tigers take on Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) University. The historic venue has been the site for thousands of Northeast basketball games over the last 70-plus years.
Northeast has 11 total home contests, including a pair of Friday afternoon tri-matches. The first such event is on September 22 when Coastal Alabama Community College at Brewton and Lawson State (Ala.) Community College come to town.
The Lady Tigers also welcome Bevill State (Ala.) Community College and Northwest Mississippi Community College on October 6. That tri-match serves as Northeast's home finale as well.
Northeast and the three other members of the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) that sponsor volleyball will play each other twice. That starts for the Lady Tigers on Wednesday, September 6 at Northwest.
The first-ever matchup between rivals Northeast and Itawamba Community College takes place on Tuesday, September 12 in the City of Hospitality. The Lady Tigers make the return visit to Fulton just under a month later on Wednesday, October 11.
Northeast will participate in three tournaments beginning with the Alabama/Mississippi Crossover Battle from September 8-9. The Lady Tigers go to the Owls Invitational in Columbus the following weekend and to Snead State (Ala.) Community College in mid-October.
"When you play tournaments, that builds up your endurance and let's you see how you can compete over a two-day period," Mayes said. "It'll give us an opportunity to get several sets in. We're looking for more experience."
The last three weeks for Northeast will be spent entirely on the road. The Lady Tigers wrap up the regular season with a trip to Mississippi University for Women on Tuesday, October 24.
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 Tournament is slated for October 27-28. The winner moves on to Mobile, Ala., for the NJCAA Gulf South District Tournament in early November.