SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah State volleyball squad opens the 2013 season in four days.

The Lady Tigers begin the season at the Winthrop University Tournament in Rock Hill, South Carolina on Friday, August 30 against Fordham University. First serve is set for 4 p.m.

Interim head coach Jolanta Graham has spent the off-season preparing for her first full year at the helm of the SSU volleyball program. She took over midway through the 2012 season.

Graham, a Lodz, Poland native, has a few primary goals in mind as she faces the final week of the pre-season. First, she hopes to break the teams two year losing streak (SSU went 0-34 in 2012 and 0-27 in 2011).

"I can see that I am working them out, because they are hustling," Graham said. "The end of last week we had a little down time. I prefer to have the down time now, than when we start the season we can get our mind back together and on the same goal. Our main goal is to get the win for Savannah State."

For four weeks now the Lady Tigers have been hitting the court daily in preparation. The team has not suffered any serious injuries during the pre-season, and will be opening with a healthy 10 person squad.

Graham has also focused on creating competition at each position. With four talented recruits coming in over the summer, the six returners have been pressured to compete for a starting role on Graham's team.

"What I tried to design within the team was inside competition," she said. "I want them to be 100 percent focused on what we want to achieve in practice, because the season is so short. During the week we don't have much time for practices. We have to train ourselves on how to focus.

"I can see the newcomers falling into it right away," Graham continued. "Sometimes I have a problem with changing the mentality of the older girls.  I want every minute they are stepping on the court towards the goal they want to achieve."

Although the inner-squad competition will continue throughout the season, Graham has nailed down her starting core. But, holds no qualms on what each player will have to do to earn a starting role on her team.

"I have got a starting group," she said. "The most important thing is to get them to click. It's not about talking. It's about them feeling out each other. Getting the tempo right, and getting to know each other without even looking. That's what we're trying to develop right now in the last few days."
 
The Lady Tigers have a tall order ahead of them. They open the season with 15 straight road games before the first home game on September 25 against The Citadel.

Graham is looking to prime her team for the tough Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play towards the end of the season. But, for this week, the focus is on the Winthrop Tournament and the fundamentals of the game.

"We have lot to improve in our defense, passing, and the reaction going to the ball," Graham said. "I know that we can pass the ball, but it's not just about passing. It's about positioning the ball where we want it, so we can set up the offense. That is our main goal. Creating the habits of putting the ball where we want it."