HICKORY, N.C. -- The Lenoir-Rhyne Volleyball Team is set to kick off the 2023 season with a home invitational on Friday. The Bears are set for their season opener at 1 p.m. as they take on Valdosta St. LR will also take on Converse (7 p.m.) in the first day of the tournament and close out the weekend with games on Saturday against Mount Olive (10 a.m.) and USC Aiken (2 p.m.)

The Bears have only played Valdosta St. twice in the history of the program with the last meeting coming back in 2007. LR is 2-0 all-time against Valdosta St. and will look to move that winning streak to three straight on Friday. 

LR is also unbeaten all-time against Mount Olive, their opponent in Saturday's opener, as LR has won all five in the head-to-head series. 

A rematch from last year will close out the weekend as the Bears clash with the Pacers of USC Aiken. The Pacers won a 3-setter over LR last year and advanced to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 8 seed. The Pacers would fall to Wingate in the opening round by a score of 3-1 to finish the campaign at 19-14. LR has only beaten Aiken once in the past five matchups, with that being a thrilling five set comeback that saw LR overcome a 2-0 deficit to win. In that match, Rachel Bewick set the program record with 42 digs to lead LR to victory. 

LR is led by 2022 SAC Freshman of the Year and Preseason All-Conference selection Emmaleigh Allen. In her first year on campus, Allen had 258 kills and 245 digs to go with 27 aces to become the fifth player in program history to win the league Freshman of the Year accolade.

LR will also return four seniors and add a senior transfer in Kathy Peter from Francis Marion. Anna Jordan, Parkley Hennings, Aasia McNeill and Anna Beaver give LR a senior leadership group that have had plenty of success in their time with the Bears.  

In her second season at the helm, Nicole Barringer looks to continue to build off a solid first season. The Bears finished 18-9 in Barringer's first year and 13-5 in the SAC and just narrowly missed a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Barringer's .667 winning percentage in her first year stands as the second-best mark in the history of LR volleyball in a coaches first year. Following the season, Barringer was named to the 30 Under Thirty by the AVCA. 

This will mark the first time LR has opened a season at home against non-conference since opening the 2009 slate with five straight at home. LR did open the COVID-shortened spring season with a home match against Tusculum in the spring of 2021.