ANDERSON, S.C. – Following its season-opening appearance at the Hughston Clinic Invitational in Columbus, Ga., last weekend, the Anderson University volleyball team continues its road swing by opening South Atlantic Conference action Thursday at Coker and will square off against four opponents at the Francis Marion Tournament over the weekend.

The Trojans will face a pair of Peach Belt Conference opponents – UNC Pembroke and the host Patriots – on Friday's opening day, then square off against Emmanuel and Barton – both from Conference Carolinas – on Saturday.

Anderson posted back-to-back shutouts of Clark Atlanta and West Georgia, while falling to Armstrong State last weekend, with freshman setter Emily Conlin being named the SAC Specialist of the Week based on her performance. The Glendale, Ariz., native is the first Trojan to earn a weekly SAC volleyball award since former SAC Player of the Year Hailey Pittman claimed the honor during the 2014 season. She handed out 93 assists in three contests, including a season-high 33 in AU's setback to Armstrong State. The newcomer averaged 9.30 assists per set, which currently ranks fourth in the league. She also came up with 18 digs and four block assists on the weekend.

Junior Marissa Mitter posted 33 kills in 10 sets for a 3.30 kills per set average after knocking down 11 kills in each of the three weekend matches. She recorded a dozen digs in the sweep of Clark Atlanta and added 10 digs in the loss to Armstrong State for a pair of double-doubles, while adding seven service aces on the weekend, including a career-best four against Clark Atlanta, and six total blocks. Fellow junior Serena Jackson leads the SAC with a .538 hitting percentage after knocking down 16 kills last weekend and ranks fourth in blocks per set with a team-high 10 on the season. Sophomore Emily Conard is sixth in the SAC with 4.50 digs per set and shares the top spot in the league with seven service aces on the year.

Coker
Coker, which went 4-24 overall and 1-21 in the SAC a year ago, was a preseason pick to finish 12th in the 2016 SAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Second-year head coach Julia Rafalowski has 12 returners and six newcomers on her roster, with the junior duo of Madison Bingle and Christen Bragg expected to lead the Cobras offensively. Last season, Bingle led the Cobras with 254 kills.

The Cobras enter Thursday night's showdown with a spotless 4-0 record after collecting wins over Columbia, Reinhardt, Life and Brenau at Life's Running Eagle Classic last weekend.

The Series vs. Coker
The Trojans clinched a berth in in the 2015 SAC Championship with last November's five-set win at Coker and own a 25-7 record versus the Cobras over the past 18 seasons. The Trojans have won 14 of the last 17 meetings, including 12 straight.

Anderson swept Coker in the Electric City in last season's first matchup, as the Trojans snapped a four-match losing skid with the sweep. Jackson posted a match-high 14 kills and added four digs and three total blocks to her night, with teammate Mitter chipping in eight kills and six digs. Defensively, Conard notched a match-best 17 digs, with Jayln Knight coming off the bench to add five kills and committing just one attack error in nine attempts for a .444 hitting percentage. Jessica Harris tallied five blocks on the evening.

The second matchup in Hartsville, S.C., was more dramatic as the Trojans overcame a season-high 35 attack errors for the win. Mitter led all players with 20 kills, while notching her sixth straight double-figure kill outing, while Conard came up with a career-best 38 digs. Jackson posted her 14th match of the season with double-figure kills after recording 13 on the night, with Harris adding 16 kills and five total blocks.

UNC Pembroke
The Braves were picked to finish 10th in the Peach Belt Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll after posting an 8-24 overall record and a 3-15 mark in the PBC a year ago. UNC Pembroke (0-6) is searching for its first victory of the season after going winless at the Eckerd College Classic last weekend and dropping decisions to Wingate and Erskine on Tuesday night.

The Series vs. UNC Pembroke
Friday afternoon's contest versus the Braves marks the first meeting between the two programs since the 2009 campaign, when the Trojans swept UNC Pembroke in the "Play for the Cure" Tournament, which was hosted by Lander.

Francis Marion
Last season, Francis Marion nearly doubled its 2014 win total with a 16-14 mark a year ago and finished in sixth place in the Peach Belt. In mid-August, the Patriots were selected seventh in the Peach Belt Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, while senior middle blocker Caroline Boone was named to the preseason All-Conference team. Last season, she ranked among the conference's top 25 in 17 different statistical categories, averaging 2.63 kills, 1.04 blocks, and 0.38 service aces per set with a team-best .300 hitting percentage. She ranked third in the PBC in total blocks, fourth in the PBC in hitting percentage, and fifth in the conference in service aces.

The Patriots are an even 2-2 on the season after rebounding from back-to-back season-opening losses to Queens and Lenoir-Rhyne by taking down Belmont Abbey and Catawba at the Queens Tournament.

The Series vs. Francis Marion
The Trojans and Patriots have met twice over the last seven seasons, with Anderson sweeping FMU at USC Aiken in 2014 and blanking the Patriots in in the "Play for the Cure" Tournament at Lander in 2009.

Emmanuel
The Lions posted a 16-14 overall record last season and spoiled Erskine's bid for a perfect Conference Carolinas' mark by handing the Flying Fleet its first league loss after 15 victories. Emmanuel is in the process of transitioning to NCAA Division II and was not eligible to compete in the Conference Carolinas Tournament. The Lions dropped three decisions at last weekend's Hughston Clinic Invitational, getting swept by Armstrong State, Mars Hill and Columbus State.

The Series vs. Emmanuel
Saturday morning's match marks the first meeting between the two programs.

Barton
The Bulldogs posted a 15-13 record last season and a 9-7 mark in Conference Carolinas play a year ago and went on to knock off North Greenville in a four-set thriller in the first round of the postseason before falling to eventual tournament champion Erskine in the semifinals. BC was tabbed to finish sixth in the 2016 Conference Carolinas Preseason Coaches' Poll.

The Bulldogs returned seven players who played at least 70 sets last season, including NCCSIA All-State Second-Team selection Allie Cullens and outside hitter Mariana Kedzia. Cullens, a sophomore from Tarpon Springs, Fla., led Conference Carolinas with 98 total blocks and 1.07 blocks per set as the team's primary middle. She finished the season with 110 kills and a .323 hitting percentage to lead the Lady Bulldogs. Kedzia returned to BC for her senior season and is the team's highest returning scorer after posting 269 kills, 237 digs and 35 service aces last season.

Barton is 0-5 on the season following its appearance at the Christian Brothers Invitational last weekend in Memphis, Tenn. Three of the Lady Bulldogs setbacks came in five sets.

The Series vs. Barton
Saturday afternoon's match will be the first meeting between the Trojans and Bulldogs since Anderson swept Barton in the 2012 AU Invitational at the Abney Athletic Center. AU and Barton have met on 25 occasions since the 1998 campaign, including 24 times as members of Conference Carolinas, with the Trojans holding a 16-9 edge in the overall series.