Southern Division champion Saint Augustine's College begins its quest for a league title this weekend at the CIAA Volleyball Championships, which begins Friday and ends Sunday at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, Va.
Pool play starts Friday with the Lady Falcons (22-8 overall, 15-2 CIAA) playing three matches. They open at 11 a.m. against Virginia Union (8-18, 7-11 CIAA), the No. 4 seed from the Northern Division. At 3 p.m., the Lady Falcons face division rival Winston-Salem State (12-13, 11-6 CIAA), the No. 3 seed in the South. The Lady Falcons end the day with a contest against Chowan (18-11, 16-2 CIAA), the Northern Division's No. 2 seed and defending conference champion.
“Although our season has been positive, we are headed into what is proverbially our second season,” Lady Falcon Head Coach Covance Mortimer said. “Confidence is not a concern for me. Focus, concentration and intensity is what I am looking to be displayed this weekend.”
The Lady Falcons, who won their first division championship since 2003, will be gunning for their 18th CIAA title. They are led by All-CIAA player Kathryn Tokarski (Saskatchewan, Canada), who leads the team with 336 kills and 3.33 kills per set. Other Lady Falcons to watch out for are All-CIAA players Stephony Newkirk (Greenville, N.C.), Brittany Hicks (Louisburg, N.C.), Nicolette Campbell (Nassau, Bahamas), Keisha Parris (St. Catherine, Jamaica) and Roxanne Smith (St. Catherine, Jamaica).
The top two teams in each of the two pools will advance to the semifinals, which will be held Saturday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The championship match is Sunday at 1 p.m.
