NASHVILLE — The Tennessee State volleyball team is preparing for another run in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Tigers closed the 2024 season with a 10-22 record, highlighted by wins over SIUE, UT Martin and Southern Indiana.

Ninth-year head coach Donika Sutton enters the new season with a largely rebuilt roster that features eight freshmen, three transfers and just three returners. She believes the group has plenty of upside.

Senior setter Sagaia Reilly returns as the floor leader, coming off a 678-assist campaign in which she also ranked third on the team in digs. Senior Maygan Miller-Garcia, one of two Nashville natives on the roster, provides veteran leadership.

Two newcomers are expected to contribute immediately. Middle blocker Syndi Polston, a transfer from Mississippi State, adds size and athleticism at the net, while outside hitter Melae Lacy has already been recognized as one of the OVC's Players to Watch.

TSU opens the season Aug. 26 at home against Trevecca Nazarene before heading to Memphis for the "Rumble at the Roane," where it will face Northwestern State, USC Upstate and Memphis. The Tigers will then compete in the Belmont Invitational against Nicholls State and Arkansas–Pine Bluff. Sutton hopes those early tests will help the young roster find its rhythm.

Conference play begins with back-to-back home matches against SIUE, followed by Morehead State. The October slate features road trips to Little Rock and Tennessee Tech, along with a home series against Lindenwood. Later in the month, TSU visits Western Illinois before returning home to face Southeast Missouri.

The Tigers close the regular season in November with a home series against Eastern Illinois and a road trip to UT Martin. The OVC Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 24-26, with higher seeds hosting the opening rounds.

Sutton said the team's success will depend on how quickly the newcomers mesh with the returners. She expects the Tigers to be strong defensively and "obnoxiously aggressive on offense," while relying on leadership from Miller, Reilly and Miller-Garcia to guide the transition.

With veterans in key roles and newcomers ready to make an impact, TSU believes it can develop into a dangerous team as the OVC season unfolds.