Highlights | Steve Payne Interview | Alexis Meeks Interview | Danielle Goodnight English Interview

INDIANAPOLIS – The 2013 IUPUI volleyball team hit the floor for the first time on Saturday and the Jaguars defeated the IUPUI Alumni Team, 4-0, in the annual Alumni Match.

The Jags downed the 15 alumni that came back to campus to participate in the game, 25-13, 25-23, 25-10, 25-16.

"It's always good to get out there and play somebody different than just scrimmaging your own team every day in practice and just doing drills - so to have another six out there on the other side of the court just helps us a lot," head coach Steve Payne said. "It's just great support out here from the alumni. They are always looking for when the schedule comes out so they can know ahead of time when to come out and play and participate."

13 players took the floor for the Jaguars against the alumni on Saturday, including four newcomers, and the match served as IUPUI's lone exhibition prior to its home opener on Friday, Aug. 30, against Illinois State as part of the 2013 IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational. The Jaguars have nine returners back from last year's Summit League regular-season championship squad, including 2012 All-League performers Moriah Fair and Kaitlyn Hickey.

"I think they have great potential - probably not the best showing of (the alumni) score wise - but they definitely have the height, the speed and the experience out there," former Summit League Setter of the Year Danielle Goodnight English said about the 2013 Jags. "I think they're going to go really far."

The IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational will feature the VCU Rams and the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in addition to IUPUI and Illinois State. The tournament schedule will consist of two matches on Friday, Aug. 30, beginning at 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 31, four matches will take place at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

When asked about what the team needed to improve upon before next weekend's season opener, senior setter Alexis Meeks said, "we just need to work on our communication a little bit more because we do have so many people that are new this year. It all comes down to chemistry and communication, which I didn't think was bad today, but it's something that (improves) over time."