ROHNERT PARK, Calif-  For the third consecutive year, the Sonoma State volleyball team will open up the season hosting the Seawolf Spike Volleyball Tournament.  This year's event kicks off on Friday morning with eight teams competing at both Seawolf Gym and the Student Recreation Center on the Sonoma State campus.

This year's field features some of the top NCAA Division II teams in the region.  Four CCAA schools (Sonoma, Chico State, Cal State Stanislaus, and San Francisco State) will join three from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (Seattle Pacific, Northwest Nazarene, and Montana State-Billings) and one from the Pacific West Conference (Notre Dame de Namur).

The Seawolves, who went 2-2 at last year's Seawolf Spike, are coming off a 13-14 season in 2007.  They finished strong, however, winning eight of their final 11 games to enter the 2008 season with momentum.  Returners include last year's CCAA Newcomer of the Year Kristy Sather and CCAA Freshman of the Year Marianne Fox. 

The first matches of the tournament get underway at 9:00 am on Friday morning.  For a complete schedule, click here.