Posted: Jul 02, 2024

Hawks Volleyball Gears Up For 2024 Campaign

MONTGOMERY,Ala.- Huntingdon Volleyball has officially released their schedule for the 2024 Fall season.

The Hawks, coming off a 14-19(11-6 CCS) record from last season, return an roster full of experience with only one senior(Kennedy Chambers) graduating in the Spring of 2024. They'll look to the leadership of their eight seniors, Jessi Hilyer, Lydia Hitchcock, Ashlen Janowski, Kenry Malone, Izzy Valldeperas, Eva Ellenburg, Sara Scott, and Jenna Crow as they navigate throughout their season schedule.

Huntingdon kicks off their campaign on the road with two consecutive tournaments, first heading to Emory University before traveling to East Texas Baptist University, where they face off against several powerhouses, including ETBU and Hardin-Simmons.

The Hawks first home match is set for September 10th against the Owls of MUW. Last season, the squads split their two matchups in the regular season, with MUW taking the first match in five sets and Huntingdon taking the second in four sets. Following the brief home stint, Huntingdon travels to Millsaps to kick off a tournament hosted by the Majors. They conclude the tournament on September 14th with matches against Centenary(Louisiana) and McMurry.

After battling MUW for the second time this season in Mississippi, the Hawks host the Tigers of Sewanee and the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels on September 21st in Roland Arena. At the conclusion of this tri-match, CCS play will begin.

Huntingdon opens CCS play by hosting the LaGrange College Panthers. They then take on former CCS member Berea in a match hosted by Covenant College before resuming conference play against Covenant and Agnes Scott on September 28th. This match kicks off a road stretch for Huntingdon, as they will play nine consecutive matches on the road before returning home on October 19th to host Covenant and Agnes Scott to complete each of their regular season series. Following a stop in Maryville, Tennessee to battle the Scots and Wesleyan, Huntingdon returns home to close out the regular season with matches against Belhaven, Asbury, and Piedmont. The CCS tournament is set to begin on October 12th with the first round.

Head coach Latonia Brady on the upcoming season:

"Our 2023 fall season started out slower than we anticipated. We had graduated several key all conference offensive and defensive contributors from 2022 (Kamea Nash, Morgan Ilsley, Sam Singleton, Reece Rhodes), had a blended roster of the same number of returners as newcomers, that combined with a multitude of injuries that kept our lineup always changing. We were able to gain confidence and momentum and finish the regular season in 2nd place in the CCS. Our disappointing 5 set loss in the semi final match was definitely a driving force for our returners this spring."

"We enter the 2024 fall season, graduating 1 senior starter from 2023, all conference middle hitter Kennedy Chambers. We are excited about our 9 true freshmen newcomers that have already shown a desire for growth, and 3 transfers that will add game experience and raise the level of competition in our gym. We return solid sophomore and junior classes, who individually elevated their skill set and physical strength during the spring season and can't wait to show off their gains this fall. This will be our largest graduating class of 8 special women, who have contributed so much energy, work, and consistent dedication to our program during their time at Huntingdon. Jessi Hilyer, Lydia Hitchcock, Ashlen Janowski, Kenry Malone, Sara Scott, Isabelle Valldeperas, Eva Ellenburg, and Jenna Crow- we can't wait for August 12th to start the 2024 season and cheer you on as you selflessly lead our Huntingdon Hawks Volleyball Team."

To view the Hawks comprehensive schedule, click here.