WSU VOLLEYBALL OPENS 2017 SEASON IN WASHINGTON D.C.
The Washington State University volleyball team opens the 2017 season with matches in Washington D.C...Cougars are coming off the best season in 14 years with a 22-12 overall record, 11-9 Pac-12 record (t5th), NCAA second round appearance, and No. 24 ranking...WSU begins the 2017 season by taking on a pair of 2016 NCAA Championship Tournament teams...playing at American University Sun., Aug. 27 at 1 p.m. PT and at Howard University Mon., Aug. 28 at 4 p.m. PT...American will play four matches prior to taking on WSU while Howard will play three matches before hosting the Cougars...WSU at American University match will have Live Video Streaming - look for the link on the schedule page at wsucougars.com...all WSU matches will have radio/internet broadcasts (see below)...WSU volleyball has won its season-opening match in 26 of the past 30 years.

TUNE IN FOR COUGAR VOLLEYBALL ROAD MATCHES ON RADIO
Cougar volleyball fans can listen to all the road contests during the 2017 season LIVE in the Palouse on KQQQ-1150 AM radio…veteran area broadcaster Steve Grubbs is the voice of Cougar volleyball for the 12th consecutive season...road match audio is also available online at wsucougars.com.

COUGAR COACHING STAFF
Jen Stinson Greeny is in her seventh season as WSU's head coach (91-104 at WSU, 6 years; 203-128 in career, 10 years)...2016 Pac-12 Coach of the Year...Greeny bio on page 4...staff includes associate head coach Burdette Greeny (seventh year) and assistant coach Shannon Hunt (fifth year)...all coaches are former WSU student-athletes...technical operations Grant Schoenlein (first year), volunteer coach James Door (second year) and student coach Kyra Holt...Kaysie Shebenick is coordinator of operations (first year).

ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
In the AVCA Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll, WSU was the only team ranked
in the top 25 at the end of the 2016 season (No. 24) to not start the 2017 season ranked...Cougars are 29th in the preseason poll...other preseason national rankings include: VolleyMob.com - 24th; PrepVolleyball.com - 25th; Pablo Rankings - 26th; Rich Kern Poll - 30th; RKPI - 26th; and Massey Ratings - 23rd...WSU will play eight teams this season that are ranked or have received votes in the AVCA Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll...complete poll on page 3.

WSU OPPONENTS IN WASHINGTON D.C. 

ABOUT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES
Location: Washington D.C.
Enrollment: 13,347     
Colors: Red, White & Blue
Website: www.aueagles.com
Head Coach: Barry Goldberg (Pittsburgh '84)
Record at American/Years: 704-249 / 28
Career Record/Years: Same
Assistant Coaches: Ahen Kim, Sarah Katz
2016 Records: 27-8   
Patriot League: 15-1 / 1st
NCAA 2016 First Round: Lost at Michigan 3-0
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11 / 2
Starters Returning/Lost:  6+Libero / 0
Common Opponents in 2017: Howard 
Series Record: First meeting

ABOUT THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON
Location: Washington, D.C. 
Enrollment: 10,000
Colors: Navy Blue and White
Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Arena/Capacity: Burr Gymnasium / 2,700
Head Coach: Shaun Kupferberg (Ball St. '01)
Record at Howard/Years: 86-65 / 5
Career Record/Years: 171-131 / 9
Assistant Coaches: Esther Johnson, Richard Hall, Dylan Hall
2016 Records: 26-6   MEAC: 12-0 / 1st
NCAA 2016 First Round: Lost at Wisconsin 3-0
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 8 / 6
Starters Returning/Lost:  5 / 2 + Libero
Common Opponents in 2017: Howard
Series Record: First meeting