PHILADELPHIA – La Salle volleyball will open their 2012 campaign by hosting the La Salle Invitational at Tom Gola Arena this weekend.
 
The five team tournament field includes La Salle, Bucknell, Loyola (Ill.), Manhattan, and Niagara. A total of nine games in two days will be played in “round robin” format. The team with the best overall match record will take home the tournament championship trophy. Head to head results will determine the tiebreaker. The entire schedule can be viewed here.
 
Live stats for all matches can be found here. In-game updates will be posted on the Explorer Game Day Twitter  page.
 
The Explorers will tip off their season Saturday at 11AM against Bucknell immediately followed by a 1PM contest vs. Niagara. La Salle will play another doubleheader Sunday, facing Loyola (Ill.) at 9AM and Manhattan at 3PM in the tournament finale, which will be streamed live on GoExplorers.tv.
 
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Team Scouting Reports:
 
La Salle (6-27, 1-14 Atlantic 10 in 2011)
The Explorers boast a team rich in experience and youth as well. Five seniors and five freshmen compose the majority of the team's 14-player roster. Senior captains Breanna Mazalewski and Samantha Tulskie both enter the season ranked in the top 10 in digs in La Salle history.
View the Explorers full season preview here.
 
Bucknell (6-17, 3-11 Patriot League in 2011)
The Bison return three starters from last year's team which finished sixth in the Patriot League. Seniors Kebah Edoho and Kat Tauscher are coming off strong 2011 seasons. Edoho ranked fourth in conference in hitting percentage (.297) while Tauscher finished fifth in assists/set (7.84).
 
Loyola (Ill.) (4-22, 1-15 Horizon League in 2011)
Sophomores Vicki Wrobel and Laura Purcell headline the top returners for the youthful Ramblers. Last season, Wrobel ranked third in the Horizon League in aces/set (.33) and seventh in assists/set (9.3). Purcell finished sixth in the conference in kills/set (3.0). She was also named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team.
 
Manhattan (16-15, 9-9 MAAC in 2011)
Coming off their second consecutive winning season, the Jaspers were picked to finish third in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in the preseason coach's poll. 2011 all-conference performer Malia McGuinness (3.4 kills/set) and all-rookie selection Hollegn Henderson (9.92 assists/set) headline a deep and experienced Manhattan roster.
 
Niagara (25-9, 17-1 MAAC in 2011)
First year head coach Dottie Porch inherits a Purple Eagles team coming off three consecutive MAAC championships and NCAA tournament appearances. Senior Kari Honomichl posted an impressive 2011 campaign, finishing in the top 10 in the MAAC in kills/set (3.19), aces/set (.41), and points/set (3.79). She was recognized as a first-team All-MAAC performer. Junior Ellen Senf was a second-team All-MAAC selection a year ago and finished seventh in the conference in hitting percentage (.272).