NEWARK, DE – The University of Delaware volleyball team, which capped off the 2007 season with its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, will participate in three spring competitions in 2008, highlighted by the first-ever collegiate indoor beach tournament.

The Blue Hens will open up spring play with an invitational at Army this weekend on March 8. That will be followed by a trip to Washington D.C. for the Georgetown Tournament on Sunday April 20, where Delaware will be joined by the host Hoyas as well as Kansas and a host of other competitors.

The highlight of their spring schedule will occur on April 26 when the Hens trek to Rochester, NY to play in the first-ever indoor collegiate beach volleyball tournament. The event, known as the Rochester Indoor Beach Open, will be the very first college volleyball competition held at an indoor beach facility.

The Hens, coming off their first Colonial Athletic Association championship, will be led by rising seniors Kelly Gibson (at right) and Molly Rand. The two will be joined by the other six returning members of the 2007 team, including All-American libero Steph Barry. Michelle LaLonde, Jess Chason, Katie Dennehy, Paige Erickson, and Greta Gibboney will also be back to defend their conference crown.

Freshman Janeen McCormick, who enrolled at Delaware in the winter, will also make her first appearance for the Blue Hens during the team’s spring season.

Delaware is led by head coach Bonnie Kenny and associate head coach Cindy Gregory, who will be entering their seventh season at the helm of the Blue Hen program in 2008.