GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After a successful 2020 season that saw the Golden Eagle women's volleyball program earn their first ever outright regular season and tournament title in the same season, CU returns with a retooled roster after seven athletes graduated. Cornerstone will open the year at home in the CU/AQ Classic with Friday night matches vs. Mount Vernon Nazarene and University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy and Saturday afternoon matches vs. Saint Francis of Indiana and Ave Maria out of Florida. All games against CU will be played in Mol Arena, while all games against the other host Aquinas will be played in the Cornerstone Auxiliary Gym. 
 
Tournament Schedule
The CU/AQ Classic will be an invitational style tournament where all games will be scheduled events. On Friday, August 20 games will be played at 3, 5, and 7 p.m. and on Saturday, August 21 at 11 a.m., 1, and 3 p.m. To view the full tournament schedule visit https://cugoldeneagles.com/sports/2020/7/2/2019-aq-cu-classic.aspx.
 
Ticketing Policy
Cornerstone will have tickets available for this weekend's event at the door. All tickets are general admission and will cost seven dollars per day for adults and five dollars a day for students with a valid ID and seniors 60+. All Cornerstone students will be welcomed for free with a valid Cornerstone ID. 
 
Fresh Faces
After graduating seven seniors in 2020, Head Coach Megan Lenhart and the Cornerstone coaching staff welcome seven new freshmen to the program. Kylie Barron, Kathryn Detweiler, Miranda German, Aubrey Lenz, Jada Thomas, Regan Vaughn, and Emma Whitley all join the program this season. Cornerstone will also welcome Braely Herrema to her first action with the team after redshirting last season and only competing with the Golden Eagle track & field program.
 

 
Key Returners
After a huge graduating class in 2020, Cornerstone has a multitude of upper classmen who will be forced to step up in bigger roles this season. CU is led by junior libero Patsy Morris, who last season surpassed the 1000 career dig mark and sits at 1169 for her career. The team will also return Olivia Keelean and Rylie Walters a pair of outside hitters who can play all six rotational spots for the team. Keelean last season recorded 154 kills in 80 sets played, while Walters recorded just 38 kills in 88 sets played with her primary role being serving last season. 

Every Heart Movement
Junior Kaylee Dykema this offseason had an awesome opportunity to be a part of the Every Heart Movement with a student led group called Met By Love that is very familiar to the Cornerstone student body. Dykema joined multiple other college students and student athletes from CU as well as other schools where they split into teams and shared the gospel and served Christ across the country. Her and her team had the opportunity to see God work in a multitude of lives and bring many people to Christ during their time. 

WHAC Outlook
Earlier this month, the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference released the Coaches' Preseason Poll and CU was tabbed to finish third in a conference that sees a multitude of new faces this year. After last season's great finish, the NAIA has tabbed Cornerstone as receiving votes in this year's Preseason Top 25 Poll as well joining cross-town rival Aquinas. 
 
Volleyball Contact: Jesse Campbell 
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