The SMU volleyball team can join the football and men's soccer teams as a squad that faces big expectations in 2011. Head coach Lisa Seifert will have the benefit of an experience-laden team that returns four starters, including the libero, and nine letterwinners. Last year's squad established a new school record at 25-6 and was second in Conference USA league play at 17-3.

Dana Powell and Courtney Manning will once again lead the assault for the Mustangs. Powell, a senior, is eighth in SMU history with 1,164 kills and sixth in digs with 1,169. She earned her second All-American honorable mention last season. Manning was named to the Conference USA second team last season after being ranked 19th in the nation with 1.34 blocks per set.

However, SMU has their work cut out for them. The Mustangs are ranked second in the conference in the preseason with the University of Houston right behind them. And ahead of them stands the formidable obstacle that is the Tulsa Golden Hurricane squad that went undefeated in league play last year and went on to win C-USA.

SMU starts the 2011 season on the road in Oklahoma where they'll take on the OU Sooners on Friday, August 26.

Stats courtesy of the Conference USA website.