Pittsburg, Kan. — The Pittsburg State volleyball program is set to begin the 2023 season at the Oredigger Volleyball Tournament Friday (Sept. 1).
 
Pitt State is scheduled to play in four matches over two days at Golden, Colo. To begin the season, the Gorillas will play #21 Colorado Mesa at 2  p.m. (CDT) on Lockridge Arena Court Two before concluding the first day with a matchup against the host school, #22 Colorado Mines, at 7 p.m. on Lockridge Arena Court One.
 
To wrap up the first tournament of the season, PSU will play (RV) Augustana (S.D.) at 9 a.m. Saturday (Sept. 2) and conclude the weekend against Colorado Christian at 3 p.m.
 
The Gorilla Scoop

• Jen Gomez enters her eighth season leading the Gorillas. She has an 87-95 overall record at PSU with four straight MIAA Tournament appearances.
• Miranda Rodriguez enters her fourth season helping Gomez and the Gorillas to a 51-54 overall record and three straight MIAA Tournament berths.
• In 2022, PSU went 17-14 overall, 11-11 MIAA, to qualify for the MIAA Tournament. The Gorillas knocked off Central Missouri in an opening round match to advance to the semifinals and played a Nebraska-Kearney team that made it to the NCAA Regional Tournament.
• Nine letterwinners are back from 2022 with six getting the start in 10 or more matches led by two-time All-MIAA selection Janae Thurston who finished with 306 kills (3.34 per set), 267 digs (2.57 per set) and 47 total blocks (44 assisted).

 
The Opposition

• Colorado Mesa enters the 2023 season ranked 21^st in the preseason AVCA coaches' poll and third in the RMAC preseason poll. Last season, the Mavericks went 22-7 overall (15-3 in the RMAC) losing in the RMAC tournament semifinals to Regis. Mesa advanced to the South Central Regional where the Mavericks were eliminated by the #1 team in the nation at the time, MSU-Denver. 

 

• Colorado Mines enters the 2023 season ranked 22^nd in the preseason AVCA coaches' poll and fourth in the RMAC preseason poll. Last year, the Orediggers went 22-8 overall (15-3 in the RMAC) losing in the RMAC tournament to the #1 team in the nation at the time MSU-Denver in the semifinals. Mines qualified to the South Central regional where they lost to eventual national champions West Texas A&M.

 

• Augustana (S.D.) enters the 2023 season receiving votes in the preseason AVCA coaches' poll and was selected seventh in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll. Last season the Vikings went 20-10 overall, 11-9 in the NSIC losing in the NSIC tournament to St. Cloud State in the semifinals.

 

• Colorado Christian enters the 2023 season ranked seventh in the RMAC preseason poll. Last season, the Cougars went 15-13 overall (10-8 in the RMAC) losing to Colorado Mesa in the RMAC tournament quarterfinals.