The Colorado College volleyball team begins its quest for its third Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship in four seasons when the Tigers travel to Schreiner University for a pair of matches this weekend.
 
The two matches against the Mountaineers are the first of eight consecutive weeks during which CC will battle conference opponents twice, with the schedule split evenly between home and road dates. The top eight teams will compete in the single-elimination SCAC Championship April 16-17 at Trinity University.
 
"It's been a long time since we last played a match so we are very excited to have the opportunity to start conference play and compete this weekend against Schreiner," head coach Rick Swan said. "I am very proud of our team's work ethic and commitment during this crazy year of constant uncertainty."
 
Colorado College, which was picked second in the SCAC's preseason poll, returns four starters, five experienced seniors, and eight veterans from last year's squad that posted a 32-5 overall record and advanced to the regional championship of the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship.
 
The Tigers will be led by junior middle hitter Georgia Mullins, a first-team all-SCAC and AVCA honorable mention All-American. Last season, Mullins led CC with 313 kills and 111 total blocks, and was sixth with 23 aces. Her team-leading .340 hitting percentage ranks ninth on the program's single-season list.
 
Senior setter Isabell Aragon-Menzel, who helped the Tigers post a .261 team hitting percentage and an average of 13.8 assists per set during the 2019 campaign, will lead the offense.
 
Her primary weapons will include senior outside hitter Allie Freeburg, who averaged 2.87 kills per set, senior middle hitter Emma Hewlin, who averaged 1.78 kills and was third on the team with a .309 hitting percentage, and sophomore outside hitter Meaghan Hohman, the reigning SCAC Newcomer of the Year who hit .325 and averaged 2.14 kills per set.
 
Colorado College's offensive arsenal also will feature senior Laney Swan, who is expected to contribute at both pins, and the back row will be bolstered by the return of senior Rachel Krutz, who missed last season and will figure prominently as either the libero or defensive specialist.
 
CC also welcomes back Isabella Vasquez, who missed the latter half of the 2019 season due to an injury. The junior outside hitter averaged 2.07 kills and 1.65 digs per set while helping the Tigers post a 14-2 record during the first half of the campaign.
 
In addition to the veterans, The Colorado College has added a talented group of newcomers, which consists of setter Jenny Jenks, middle hitter Kendall Fraser, and outside hitters Keeley Kandziora and Isabella Lipacis, all of whom are expected to contribute during their first collegiate season.
 
Without a non-conference slate to tune up for what arguably is one of the most competitive volleyball conferences in the season, Swan has been working hard to make sure the Tigers begin has final season as head coach at CC on the right foot.
 
The regular-season crown and top seed for the postseason championship likely will hinge on back-to-back weekends in early March when Colorado College plays host to preseason favorite Trinity and third-choice Southwestern University. The Tigers play host to TU on March 5-6, then travel to Georgetown, Texas, to face the Pirates on March 12-13.
 
CC plays its first home matches on Feb. 20 against the University of St. Thomas.