HARROGATE, Tenn. -- Headlined by a match-up against perennial powerhouse West Florida, a daunting challenge ripe with opportunity awaits the Lady Railsplitters in the opening weekend of the 2014 volleyball season at the Dunn Hospitality Classic in Evansville, Ind. September 5-6. In addition to its duel with the Argonauts, Lincoln Memorial will be tested by Cedarville, North Alabama and West Alabama inside of the University of Southern Indiana's Physical Activities Center.

Looking to quickly rinse the sour taste from last season's disappointing exclusion from the NCAA Southeast Regional for the first time since 2007, the Lady Railsplitters have the opportunity to earn a number of resume building wins on the initial weekend of the season. Friday's doubleheader offers the two most intriguing matches of the Lady Railsplitters' trip north, as Lincoln Memorial is scheduled to open the event and the season against 23rd-ranked West Florida at 12:30 p.m. before finishing off the first day of regular-season competition versus Cedarville at 8 p.m.

The West Florida Argonauts enter the 2014 campaign following a 28-8 mark in 2013, highlighted by the program's sixth-consecutive Gulf South Conference championship as well as an appearance in the finals of the NCAA Division II South Regional. The Argonauts return a pair of All-GSC first team selections in senior outside hitter Autumn Duyn and middle blocker Sarah Scott. Duyn paced the Argos in kills per set last season with 2.92, while Scott ranked among the team leaders in blocks with 0.76 per frame in addition to 268 total kills. On defense, UWF returns liberos Tori Martella and Colleen Starrs, who each recorded over two digs per set in 2013. Martella led that duo with 3.74 per and 352 scoops total, while Starrs posted 236 total and 2.36 per during her sophomore campaign.

Friday's nightcap offers little to no reprieve as the Cedarville Yellow Jackets' roster features ten returnees and three all-conference performers including the reigning G-MAC Player of the Year Hannah Wagner. The 6-2 outside hitter led the Yellow Jackets to the program's second-consecutive G-MAC title in 2013 with a team-high 2.75 kills per set and 371 total kills. Along with Wagner, Cedarville welcomes back outside hitters Abby Shelton and Amanda Bell, who both accounted for over 275 kills in 2013. Those three hitters should also benefit from another season alongside setter Maddie Ledbetter, who posted 800 total assists and 5.88 per during her junior campaign. The Yellow Jackets capped the 2013 season with a 23-14 overall mark, but two seasons ago Cedarville amassed an impressive 32-6 record.

The Lady Railsplitters turn around quickly on Saturday to square off against North Alabama at 12:30 p.m.. and West Alabama at 5:30 p.m.. in the final day of the Dunn Hospitality Classic. Selected seventh and eighth respectively in the GSC preseason coaches' poll, the UNA Lions and the UWA Tigers are both hungry for resurgent seasons in 2014.

LMU's Saturday morning opponent, the Lions finished the 2013 season with an 8-25 mark, highlighted by a trip to the semifinals of GSC tournament. North Alabama returns senior Megan Gorey, a preseason All-GSC selection, who posted a team-leading 352 kills a year ago. North Alabama additionally returns the likes of sophomore outside hitter Natasha Fomina. Listed at 5-10, Fomina finished second for the Lions with 289 total kills and 2.73 kills per set during her freshman campaign.

West Alabama, meanwhile, capped 2013 at 12-18 overall with a 7-5 mark versus non-conference foes. Like LMU's first three opponents in the Dunn Hospitality Classic, the Tigers bring back a plethora of talent from last season including its top four hitters: Yanesha Johnson, Morgan Ray, Sadie Beam and Jessica Voyles. Johnson led West Alabama last season with 269 total kills, while Ray fronted the squad with 2.84 per set and 224 total. Beam and Voyles chipped in 190 and 185 kills, respectively. The Tigers also welcome back leading defensive player Shantel Federick, who collected 549 digs in 2013.

The Lady Railsplitters open the Dunn Hospitality Classic in Evansville, Ind. on Friday, September 5 at 12:30 p.m. against West Florida. A match-up against Cedarville follows at 8 p.m. on Friday, while the Lady Railsplitters complete the event on Saturday against North Alabama (12:30 p.m.) and West Alabama (5:30 p.m.). Host Southern Indiana will be providing live stats for every match this weekend, and those can be accessed through the tournament central page.

Dunn Hospitality Classic notes
-The Lady Railsplitters are 10-4 in season openers since the turn of the century, but the program has dropped four of its last six season openers including three straight. Lincoln Memorial has yet to win a season opener in the Jenny Michael era.
-The Lady Railsplitters are 21-16 in out-of-conference matches since Jenny Michael took over the program prior to the 2011 season.,
-Lincoln Memorial holds a 21-46 cumulative mark against this weekend's opponents. The Lady Railsplitters and West Florida are tied 5-5 in the all-time series with the Argonauts having won five of the last six. LMU is 14-15 all-time against West Alabama with its last win over the Tigers falling on October 14, 2005. The Lady Railsplitters are looking to top North Alabama for the first time since 1995, as the Lions hold a dominant 26-2 advantage in the series with 20-consecutive wins. The Lady Railsplitters and Cedarville Yellow Jackets have no previous encounters.,
-RECORD BOOK WATCH: Sophomore setter Abby Cash (New Carlisle, Ohio) enters the season ranked ninth all-time in assists with 798, while junior libero Casey Mense (Littleton, Colo.) is 43 digs shy of 1,000 career scoops. She ranks 12th in school history with that mark. Junior Jazzy Oates (Franklin, Tenn.) is currently 18th on the all-time blocks list with 167. She looks to become the 12th player in program history with 200-plus career stonewalls. Additionally, Oates is nearing the top 20 for career kills with 454 to her credit. Jennifer Drumm is currently 20th with 614.,,
-REWIND: The Lady Railsplitters finished the 2013 season in a four-way tie for third in the South Atlantic Conference standings with a 14-8 league mark. All told, LMU wrapped up the year with an 18-13 tally, snapping a streak of five-consecutive bids to NCAA Southeast Regional.