DRURY VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW
Fri.: Drury vs. Augusta, 9 am, Daytona Beach, Fla. ICI Center
Fri: Drury vs. #20 Wingate, 1:30 pm, Daytona Beach, Fla. ICI Center
Sat: Drury vs. Emmanuel, 9 am, Daytona Beach, Fla. ICI Center
Sat: Drury at Embry-Riddle, 1:30 pm, Daytona Beach, Fla. ICI Center
 
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Panthers start season in the Sunshine State
The Drury Panthers begin their season at the Bahama House Labor Day Classic in Daytona, Florida on Friday, September 1, 2023, at the ICI Center.

Drury enters this season after finishing 13-17, 4-8 in the GLVC. In the preseason coaches poll, the Panthers were picked to finish tenth in the GLVC. Head coach Jenifer Bahner-Hill returns for her 10th season as Drury's head coach. She returns eight letter winners from last year's year and adds seven newcomers.

The Panthers will add junior college transfer Kaitlin Dean (Heartland CC, Atlanta, Ill.), Columbia College transfer and former Waynesville star Mary Henry, Laurent Tyler, a two-time all-state product from Logan-Rogersville, Reagan Tunnell out of Bentonville, Arkansas, Springfield-Kickapoo product Grace Gardner, whose mother coached as Drury and North Carolina-Wilmington, Payton Mitchell, who won a state title at Blair Oaks in 2021 and was a redshirt at Washburn last year, and Sanoma Hunter from Kansas City-Van Horn.

Drury's top three in kills all return for the Panthers. Salma Lewis (Jr., Carl Junction) led Drury with 2.95 kills per set, while Stormi Tadlock (Jr., Ozark) at 2.66 kills/set returns, along with Kayli Duncan at 2.48 kills/set (Jr., Wichita, Kan.).
Juliana Squire, a fifth-year senior out of Fort Worth, Texas, is also back to anchor Drury's defense. Squire averaged 4.34 digs per set last season.
 
Augusta enters this matchup as the preseason favorite in the Peach Belt Conference after receiving three of the five first-place votes. Last season the Jaguars finished 25-8, 12-3 in the PBC.
 
Wingate enters the season ranked 20^th nationally and the favorite in the South Atlantic Conference for the 18^th straight season, receiving 11 of the 13 first-place votes. The Bulldogs finished last season 32-3, 17-1 in conference play as they lost to West Texas A&M in the quarterfinals of the NCAA-II Tournament.
 
Emmanuel finished last season 24-8, 17-1 in the Conference Carolinas. The Lions were picked as the preseason favorites in the Conference Carolinas, receiving eight of the 14 first-place votes.
 
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) is the host of the Bahama House Labor Day Classic and was picked to finish sixth in the Sunshine State Conference preseason coaches poll. The Eagles finished last season with a record of 17-14, 8-12 in the SSC.

After this weekend's tournament, the Panthers will travel to Pittsburg State to compete in the Gorilla Classic Tournament from Friday, September 8 through Saturday, September 9.
 
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