Time to Get Things Started: The Tigers open their 42nd season of volleyball and fifth under head coach Don Metil this weekend by heading south to take part in the 2017 Catamount Classic hosted by Western Carolina in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The Tigers will face Jacksonville State at 4 p.m. on Friday in the season opener. Saturday, the Tigers will have a chance to face the host Catamounts at 12:30 p.m. and Charleston Southern at 4 p.m. Links to live stats and the video feed of the Western Carolina match can be found on the schedule page of TowsonTigers.com. Fans can also follow the Tigers on Twitter (@Towson_VB) for updates.

Looking at the Tigers: The Tigers return nine letter winners and three starters plus the libero (who doesn't get credit for a start) from last year's squad that went 24-9 and advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) semifinals. The Tigers will rely on a strong junior class that includes CAA Preason Player of the Year right side hitter Jocelyn Kuilan (372 kills, 43 service aces), outside hitter Carola Biver (201 kills, 199 digs) and libero Anna Holehouse (482 digs, 22 service aces). Also back is sophomore setter Marrisa Wonders (869 assists). Towson also welcomes a class of six newcomers for 2017.

Scouting the Opponents: Jacksonville State went 18-19 last fall and fell to Murray State in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Tournament. The Gamecocks will be led by Mackenzie Rombach who was named to the Preseason All-OVC Team. Rombach set the program's Division I single-season record with 175 blocks last season. She added 257 kills and 15 service aces.

Western Carolina is coming off an 11-19 campaign in 2017. The Catamounts dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 decision to UNCG in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference Championship to end their season. Jo-Leigh Vervelde posted 860 assists and 264 digs last year for the Catamounts.

Charleston Southern went 13-20 in 2017 and saw its season come to an end with a loss to Campbell in the first round of the Big South Tournament. Madison Martin was named to the Big South Preseason All-Conference Team. Martin set the school record with 665 digs last fall and finished fifth in the nation in that category.

Series History: Friday's contest will be the first ever for the Tigers against Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks are the first of four opponents the Tigers will face for the first time in 2017.

Western Carolina and the Tigers have met four times previously, with the last contest coming in 2015. That year, the Tigers earned a four-set win as part of the Tennessee Tech Tournament. The Catamounts had won the previous three meetings.

Towson will be facing Charleston Southern for the fifth time overall and the first time since 1997. The Tigers and Buccaneers have split each of their previous four meetings, including Towson's 3-0 win during the Furman Invitational in 1997.

Stacking Up The CAA: Towson was picked to finish fourth in the CAA Preseason Poll voted on by the league's head coaches. The Tigers received 42 points from the coaches. College of Charleston was selected first in the poll while Hofstra was second. James Madison, the defending champion, rounded out the top three.

I'm Honored: Towson junior Jocelyn Kuilan was named the CAA Preseason Player of the Year  last week in voting done by the league's head coaches. Kuilan, who earned First Team All-CAA accolades a year ago, contributed 372 kills, 166 digs, 43 service aces and 38 blocks. She ranked among the top 10 in the CAA for hitting percentage, kills per set, service aces per set and points per set. Kuilan is the first Tiger to earn preseason player of the year accolades since Katy Buck in 2012.

The Pack Gains New Faces: The Tigers welcomed six new student-athletes to campus this fall. The Tiger newcomers hail from five states and one country. The group includes a libero/defensive specialist (Camryn Allen), three middle blockers (Kamryn Stambaugh, Silvia Grassini and Olamide Sonuga), an outside hitter (Olivia Finckel) and a setter (Peyton Moyles).

Up Next: The Tigers continue their six match road trip to start the season when they head back to North Carolina next weekend. Towson will take part in the Appalachian State Tournament on Sept. 1 and 2. The Tigers will face Appalachian State on Friday night before battling Virginia and ETSU on Saturday.