UCO TO OPEN SEASON: Central Oklahoma begins a rugged 2008 schedule this weekend when the Bronchos travel to Tampa, Fla. for the two-day University of Tampa Classic.
All four of UCO’s weekend opponents made last year’s NCAA Division II national tournament, with two ranked in the preseason top 25. Click here for the complete release.
The Bronchos play Saint Leo at 11 a.m. (Oklahoma time) and Northern Kentucky at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, then return Saturday to face No. 7-ranked and host Tampa at 12:30 p.m. and No. 21 Ashland at 8 p.m.
Both Saint Leo and Northern Kentucky received votes in the preseason national poll along with UCO, which has four players back from last year’s 32-7 team that advanced to the semifinals of the Southwest Regional.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: Northern Kentucky (26-9 last year) and Ashland (25-6) both qualified for the Great Lakes Regional last year, while Saint Leo (24-14) and Tampa (31-3) were in the South Regional. Tampa won the South Regional to make it to the Elite Eight.
UCO has never played Saint Leo while owning 1-0 series leads over its other three opponents this weekend. The Bronchos beat Ashland and UNK back in 1992 and edged Tampa in 2002.
ABOUT LAST YEAR: UCO tied a school record for wins in finishing 32-7 in 2007 for its 16th straight winning season, including the eighth consecutive 20-win campaign. The Bronchos were runner-up in both the Lone Star Conference regular-season standings and the LSC Tournament.
UCO advanced to the national tournament for the second time in three years and beat Fort Lewis in the first round of the Southwest Regional before falling in the semifinals to tournament host Nebraska-Kearney.
ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO has three starters back from last year’s 32-7 team and also returns a starter from 2006, but the Bronchos lost two All-Southwest Region players from last year and another starter is currently out with injury.
Leading UCO is junior setter Meaghan Wedberg and sophomore middle blockers Jessica Legako and Courtney Whitlow.
Wedberg was a second-team All-LSC selection last year and is one of the league’s top all-around players. She had 1,633 assists last year -- the second-best single-season total in school history -- while adding 244 kills, 324 digs, 72 total blocks and 36 service aces.
Legako had 353 kills and a league-high 143 total blocks, with Whitlow chipping in 213 kills and 110 blocks.
Sophomore libero Sarah Niles is a returning letterwinner and sophomore outside hitter Kristen Wilson returns after missing last year to illness.
Junior outside hitter Kelsey Reynolds is a two-year starter currently out indefinitely with a back injury.
ABOUT THE COACH: In his sixth year at the UCO helm is Jeff Boyland, who is 124-42 with the Bronchos and ranks 16th among active Division II coaches in winning percentage (.747). He’s led UCO to two Lone Star Conference North Division titles and two NCAA Division II national tournament appearance.
Boyland has a career mark of 192-51 (.790) in six years, going 71-11 in two seasons at Mid-America Christian University.