FRANKFORT, Ky. (November 7, 2012) – Under the tutelage of first-year head coach, Christina Coleman, the defending conference champions, the Kentucky State Thorobrettes enter the 2012 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Volleyball Championship Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the West Division. The 2012 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Volleyball Championships is set to take place November 7-9 in Albany, Ga. at Albany State University.
 
Top-seeded Albany State, which finished with a conference record of 16-0, and 22-9 overall, is the odds on favorite to win the championship. The Lady Golden Rams are led by senior Jennifer Johnson, who is a candidate for Player of the Year. Johnson is one of the best all-around players in the conference, but primarily serves as the setter for the Lady Golden Rams. Assisting Johnson are here teammates Adrienne Morris, Jillian Anderson, and Sharme Ridley.
 
KSU finished the 2012 campaign with an overall record of 12-22, the Brettes finished atop the West Division with a record of 12-4 in the conference. After season-opening tournament at Rollins College (Fla.), the Brettes went straight into conference play for the first of two SIAC West Division Cluster tournaments. A constant intra-divisional battle, KSU lost to Stillman College in three sets, giving them their first conference loss of the 2012 season. The Brettes rallied and defeated the remainder of the divisional field, improving their record to 4-6 overall (4-1 SIAC).
 
The Brettes then moved to 4-8, falling to Cedarville and West Liberty at the Cedarville tri-match, but redeemed themselves at the second West Division Cluster. In Memphis, Tenn. KSU swept the field, including a four-set win over Stillman. The win, combined with Stillman's key losses to West Division opponent Tuskegee in the final conference match of the season, and Stillman's four conference losses in the SIAC Crossover Tournament, afforded the Thorobrettes the 2012 West Division Title.
 
KSU is led by outside hitters Emily Grieshaber (sophomore; Thorntown, Ind.), Catrina Willis (junior; East St. Louis, Ill.), and setter Sabrena Rose (sophomore, Indianapolis, Ind.). Grieshaber leads the Brettes and is ranked fourth in the SIAC for kills, averaging 3.28 per set and has amassed 358 total kills in 109 sets. She is also second on the team in digs (171), only behind the Brettes' defensive specialist Jasmine McQueen (who has 454 digs). Willis has clocked 236 kills, 34 service aces and 156 digs this season, while Rose has dished out a team-high and conference third-best 7.24 assists per set (789 total assists).
 
The Thorobrettes receive a first-round bye and will play the winner of match number three between #3W Tuskegee and #6E Fort Valley. During the regular season, Kentucky State defeated TU twice, going five sets in both matches, while playing and defeating Fort Valley once in three sets. First serve is set for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 7.


 
2012 SIAC Volleyball Championship Schedule of Games
Day 1- Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Match #1- #3E Clark Atlanta vs.#6W Lane (Court # 1) - 10 a.m.
Match #2-  #4W LeMoyne Owen vs. #5E Paine (Court #2) – 10 a.m.
Match #3- #3W Tuskegee vs. #6E Fort Valley St. (Court #1) - 12 p.m.
Match #4- #4E Benedict vs. #5W Miles (Court #2) - 12 p.m.
Match #5- #1E Albany State vs. Winner of Game 1 (Court #1) - 2 p.m.
Match #6- #2W Stillman vs. Winner of Game 2 (Court #2) - 2 p.m.
Match #7- #1W Kentucky State vs. Winner of Game 3 (Court #1) - 4 p.m.
Match #8- #2E Claflin vs. Winner of Game 4 (Court #2)- 4 p.m.
 
Day 2- Thursday, November 8, 2012
Match #9- Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 5 (Court # 1) - 10 a.m.
Match #10- Loser of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 6 (Court #2) – 10 a.m.
Match #11- Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 7 (Court #1) - 12 p.m.
Match #12- Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser of Game 8(Court #2) - 12 p.m.
Match #13- Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10 (Court #1) - 2 p.m.
Match #14- Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 12 (Court #2) - 2 p.m.
Match #15- Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 (Court #1) - 4 p.m.
Match #16- Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8 (Court #2) - 4 p.m.
Match #17- Winner of Game 14 vs. Loser of Game 15 (Court #1) – 6 p.m.
Match #18- Winner of Game 13 vs. Loser of Game 16 (Court #2) – 6 p.m.
Match #19- Winner of Game 15 vs. Winner of Game 16 (Court #1) – 8 p.m.
 
Day 3- Friday, November 9, 2012
Match #20- Winner of Game 17 vs. Winner of Game 18 (Court #1) – 10 a.m.
Match #21- Winner of Game 20 vs. Loser of Game 19 (Court #1) – 12 p.m.
Match #22- Winner of Game 19 vs. Winner of Game 21 (Court #1) – 3 p.m.
Match #23- Winner of Game 22 vs. Loser of Game 22 (if necessary) (Court #1) – 5 p.m.