New Era for UNT Volleyball Starts with the North Texas Invite

DENTON, Texas – A new era for North Texas volleyball begins with first-year head coach Kristee Porter leading the program into a challenging 2022 schedule and the final season of Conference USA competition, starting with the North Texas Invite Friday and Saturday inside North Texas Volleyball Center.

The hosts will open with a twin bill on Friday, Aug. 26 versus Jacksonville University at 10 a.m. then play 2021 NIVC Champions UNLV at 7 p.m. The tournament will conclude with a matchup against Texas-Rio Grande Valley at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27.

The Mean Green will look to start strong in 2022, led by key returners Aleeyah Galdeira, Truli Levy and Andrea Owens. Galdeira, who has collected more than 800 digs in her UNT career, returns for her senior season as one of the top liberos in C-USA while Levy, who was the team's third-leading scorer last season, and Owens, an All-Conference USA All-Freshman Team selection in 2021, all look to take the next step this season.

The new coaching staff is breathing fresh air into the program by welcoming in 17 newcomers this season, including eight Division I transfers. Among the fresh faces are sophomore outside hitter Aryn Johnson who led McNeese in kills and service aces in 2021 en route to all-conference honors. She is joined by two McNeese transfers in setter Ceci Harness who tallied a team-high 624 assists and Texas-native Anyse Smith, an outside hitter that led her team in points per set with 4.75 and who won a spot on the Southland All-Tournament team.

Other key transfers include all-conference performer Sh'Diamond Holly from the University of New Orleans and opposite Treyaunna Rush, a former all-freshman team honoree at Texas A&M. The Mean Green also signed seven high school student-athletes as they build their roster and prepare for a challenging 2022 schedule.

The Mean Green will compete in four non-conference tournaments this season, including hosting the North Texas Invite and a trio of matchups in nearby Arlington as well as trips to Oregon and Montana ahead.

The Mean Green will hit the road for the next four matches, including the UTA Classic which will culminate with a contest against the host Mavericks for the 62nd meeting between the two sides. UNT holds a 6-1 advantage versus UT Arlington over the last 10 seasons.

Oregon State will welcome the Mean Green along with Portland and Portland State for the Asics Invitational on Sept. 9-10.

North Texas will face its toughest stretch of opponents beginning with No. 16 Baylor on Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. in Waco. The team will then travel to Bozeman, Montana to face No. 8 Washington and reigning Mountain West champion Boise State on Friday, Sept. 16. They will then compete against host Montana State the following afternoon.

The schedule is punctuated with the last year of C-USA play featuring matches with No. 21 Western Kentucky in Denton on Oct. 14 and a pair of meetings with Rice on Sept. 30 at home and a trip to Houston set for Nov. 4. The Owls fell just outside of the top 25 in the preseason AVCA Coaches Poll, receiving 50 votes.

North Texas volleyball will celebrate Halloween on Sunday, Oct. 30 with a 1 p.m. matchup against UTSA and hold Senior Night on Thursday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. versus UAB.

The team will also travel to south Florida at the end of September for conference contests against Florida Atlantic and FIU and will culminate the season with a visit to Charlotte on Nov. 12.

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