The Wayne State College volleyball team opens the 2024 season Thursday evening facing the first of two NCAA Tournament teams from last season at the Eckerd College Invite in St. Petersburg, Florida.
        The Wildcats, the two-time defending NSIC regular season champions, are ranked fourth in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll and coming off a 31-3 season and a trip to the NCAA Elite 8 in Moon Township, Pa. 
        Wayne State's first match of the season is Thursday evening at 6 p.m. against Adelphi (N.Y.), who was the preseason pick to win the Northeast 10 Conference this season after a 26-7 record last year and the NCAA East Region #1 seed.
        On Friday the Wildcats play two matches starting with Emory & Henry College of Virginia at 9 a.m.  The Wasps were 10-18 last season and return 13 players on this year's roster.  The second match Friday for WSC is against St. Leo of Florida, who was 9-20 overall and 4-16 in the Sunshine State Conference last season.
        The Wildcats close tournament play on Saturday facing host Eckerd College at 12 p.m.  The Tritons qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year in the South Region and had a record of 22-9 last season.