Top-class competition will come to the Hornet Gym in the form of the first-ever Sac State Invitational volleyball tournament on Friday.

The Hornets have finished at the top of the Big Sky conference five out of he last six years and the preseason tourney will be a great way for the players to hone their abilities against some of the nation’s best.

Last season Sac State had the unfortunate opportunity of meeting up with Stanford, who had the No. 4 ranking in the nation at the time, in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

After being ousted from the NCAA postseason tourney in the first round last season, Sac State volleyball is once again looking to test its conference crown against some of the best teams in the nation.

The Hornets often travel across the country to prepare for the regular season, but there is something to be said for a home-cooked meal and a familiar bed,That’s part of the reason head coach Debby Colberg wanted to bring a tournament to Sac State.

“It’s always nice to take on teams in your own gym. This was actually something I started working on back when I was still the (Sac State) athletic director,” Colberg said. That was over a year ago, and now, with the support of current Athletic Director Terry Wanless, the Sacramento State Invitational is a reality.

“The Athletic Department’s job is to approve the concept of something like this and provide the resources to make it happen,” Wanless said. “We will do things like pay for the lodging of the visiting teams as well as trophies and awards and whatever else might be needed.”

The tournament is set to take place Friday and Saturday at Hornet Gym and will feature four of the nation’s most well-known programs. Sac State will play host to the University of California, Riverside as well as Georgetown University, Fresno State University and Oregon State University.

“We have a strong program,” Wanless said. “This will give us a chance to take on top-flight competition on our home court.”

Colberg agrees, and thinks there might be a physical advantage to staying home.

“We have a tendency to start slowly in the preseason. We’ll see if this changes anything.”

Last weekend in the Hornets first tournament of the season at Loyola Marymount University, Sac State finished 1-2. They had losses to Loyola (3-0) and West Virginia (3-0), but were able to pull out a win over the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (3-0).

Aside from the benefits to the program itself, Wanless hopes that the Sac State Invitational will bring a new sense of excitement to the team’s fans.

“We hope that volleyball fans will respond to a tournament of this nature in their own backyard,” Wanless said. “There’s a demand for this type of entertainment in the area, as you see by the success of the things like the Volleyball Festival. We just want to be on the menu for people.”

Wanless will get his wish, at least for the immediate future. The teams have already been set for the second annual Sacramento State Invitational in 2004.

A Look at the Participants

Sacramento State — The Hornets welcome back five starters for the 2003 season, including senior team captain Lisa Beauchene who averaged nearly 11 assists per game and had a .366 hitting percentage last year. Junior outside hitter Sandra Bandimere led the team in kills last season and should only improve with another year of experience.

Georgetown — The Hoyas come into town with a bit of local flavor to their roster. Middle blocker Sara Albert, a product of Davis High School, ranked seventh in the nation last year with a .411 hitting percentage. Sophomore Rachel Nelson attended high school at St. Francis and averaged just over two kills and two digs per game in 2002.

Fresno State — The Bulldogs are ranked No. 44 in the preseason AVCA Coaches Poll. Outside hitter Kristen Fenton and middle blocker Carrie Hartt anchored their team last season, as each averaged over three kills per game.

Oregon State — The Beavers are led by outside hitter Allison Lawrence, who averaged over three kills and two digs per game in 2002. Setter Laura Collins had 10.49 assists per game and chipped in just over two digs per game last year.UC Riverside — Outside hitter Jamie DeKiewet had just under three kills and just under three digs per game last year and setter Tiffany Brooks was good for just under 10 assists per game.