Furman Volleyball To Open New Home Venue Friday Night

Sept. 22, 2005

GREENVILLE, South Carolina - Furman's Lady Paladin volleyball team will open its 2005 home slate this Friday night at 7:00, in the newly renovated Alley Gymnasium on the Furman University campus.

Friday night's match against the reigning Southern Conference champion Cougars of the College of Charleston will mark Furman's move into the only volleyball-specific facility in the league.

"We are very excited about our move to Alley Gym," said coach Michelle Young. "Alley is such a great venue for volleyball becuase the scale of the gym is more in proportion to the size of a volleyball court. The fans will be closer to the action and we look forward to a great atmosphere for all of our home matches this season."

In addition to Friday night's Rally in the Alley, on Saturday, during a noon match against The Citadel, Furman will hold a recognition ceremony for the 1990 Lady Paladin volleyball team. That team posted a 21-16 overall record and won the program's only Southern Conference Tournament title in a championship match that featured a come-from-behind 3-2 decision.

As a part of Alley Gym's renovation project, the gym floor was sanded, stripped, and repainted in a volleyball specific design. In addition, a new ceiling was installed, along with wireless internet, strobe lighting, and a new scoreboard. The coaching staff also moved into new offices near the rear of the building and the team got a new, more spacious locker room.