University of North Texas Athletics
Friday, January 22
DENTON
6 PM
University of North Texas
vs
SMU
Photo by: Manny Flores
MGVB hosts SMU to begin 2020-21 season
1/22/2021 8:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
DENTON -- After 420 days with no regular season contests, the North Texas volleyball team will return to action on Friday at 6 p.m. when they host metroplex rival SMU in the 2020-21 season opener at the North Texas Volleyball Center.Â
Friday night's match will be broadcasted by C-USA TV (https://bit.ly/3p4jZOm). Coverage starts at 6 p.m.
"We are excited to get our season started and compete against someone other than ourseleves," head coach Andrew Palileo said. "It has been a long time since that has happened. Our girls have worked hard in practice for not only the last month, but over a year now. This is a special group, and we're excited to get back on the court."
Palileo is entering his eighth season as the Mean Green volleyball head coach. He has quickly turned into one of the most successful coaches to come through North Texas, as his 136 wins are the most among any head coach in program history. In his first seven years at UNT, Palileo is 5-2 in season openers, which is the best record by a Mean Green head coach through the first seven years.Â
North Texas and SMU both played its last regular season game on Nov. 29, 2019, and that match happened to be against each other. The Mean Green won that 2019 meeting 3-1 (25-15, 25-22, 14-25, 29-27). Overall, North Texas has a two-game winning streak against SMU, while the Mustangs hold the overall series lead 11-3.Â
Rhett Robinson returns as the Mean Green's returning leader in kills (264), while Kaliegh Skopal led UNT with 874 assists in the 2019 season.Â
The Mean Green have been dominant at the North Texas Volleyball Center since Palileo arrived in 2013. North Texas has sported a 75-29 home record in the last seven seasons, the third-highest home record in all of C-USA in the last seven seasons.Â
North Texas will recognize seniors Barbara Martin, Kaliegh Skopal, Miranda Youmans and Valerie Valerian prior to the match on Friday. This group has accumulated 65 wins in three seasons, tied for the most wins in a three-year span in program history (2012-14).Â
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Friday night's match will be broadcasted by C-USA TV (https://bit.ly/3p4jZOm). Coverage starts at 6 p.m.
"We are excited to get our season started and compete against someone other than ourseleves," head coach Andrew Palileo said. "It has been a long time since that has happened. Our girls have worked hard in practice for not only the last month, but over a year now. This is a special group, and we're excited to get back on the court."
Palileo is entering his eighth season as the Mean Green volleyball head coach. He has quickly turned into one of the most successful coaches to come through North Texas, as his 136 wins are the most among any head coach in program history. In his first seven years at UNT, Palileo is 5-2 in season openers, which is the best record by a Mean Green head coach through the first seven years.Â
North Texas and SMU both played its last regular season game on Nov. 29, 2019, and that match happened to be against each other. The Mean Green won that 2019 meeting 3-1 (25-15, 25-22, 14-25, 29-27). Overall, North Texas has a two-game winning streak against SMU, while the Mustangs hold the overall series lead 11-3.Â
Rhett Robinson returns as the Mean Green's returning leader in kills (264), while Kaliegh Skopal led UNT with 874 assists in the 2019 season.Â
The Mean Green have been dominant at the North Texas Volleyball Center since Palileo arrived in 2013. North Texas has sported a 75-29 home record in the last seven seasons, the third-highest home record in all of C-USA in the last seven seasons.Â
North Texas will recognize seniors Barbara Martin, Kaliegh Skopal, Miranda Youmans and Valerie Valerian prior to the match on Friday. This group has accumulated 65 wins in three seasons, tied for the most wins in a three-year span in program history (2012-14).Â
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
MB/OH
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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