This Week
•     Navy opens its 2023 season this weekend when the Mids travel to Albany, N.Y., to take part in the UAlbany Invitational.  
•    The Mids will play Syracuse (11 a.m.) and UCF (4:30 p.m.) on Friday and UAlbany (3 p.m.) on Saturday.
•    Links to the free live video (AmericaEast.tv) from the Navy-UAlbany match and live statistics from each of Navy's three matches can be found on NavySports.com.

Navy Preview
•     The Mids return their 2022 starting lineup and all but one letter winner from last year's team that finished in third place during the regular season with an 11-5 record, posted an overall record of 16-12 and advanced to the championship match of the Patriot League Tournament.  
•    Navy placed third in the 2023 Patriot League Preseason Poll.
•    Maggie Bodman, Jordan Llewellyn and Averi Miller were named to the seven-player 2023 Preseason All-Patriot League Team.
•    Additionally, Miller was named the preseason setter of the year in the league.

2023 Patriot League Preseason Poll
1. Colgate - 126 (14 first-place votes)
2. Army West Point - 124 (2)
3. Navy - 98 (2)
4. American - 78
5. Bucknell - 68
6. Loyola Maryland - 67
7. Lehigh - 41
8. Lafayette - 30
9. Holy Cross - 16

2023 Patriot League Preseason All-League Team
Zeynep Uzen, American, Gr., OH
Paige Fixemer, Army West Point, Sr., MB
Abby Shadwick, Colgate, Jr., OH
Lauren Link, Loyola Maryland, Sr., OH
Maggie Bodman, Navy, Sr., MB
Jordan Llewellyn, Navy, Sr., OH
Averi Miller, Navy, Sr., S

Preseason Player of the Year - Zeynep Uzen, American, Gr., OH
Preseason Libero of the Year - Jordan Hardy, Bucknell, Jr., L
Preseason Setter of the Year - Averi Miller, Navy, Sr., S

Syracuse Preview
•     Syracuse posted an overall record of 11-17 last season and tied for ninth place in the 15-team Atlantic Coast Conference with a 7-11 record.
•     Syracuse placed 14th in the ACC Preseason Poll this season.
•    The Orange have won both prior matches in the series with the Mids, with the last match taking place in 2015 at Syracuse.
•    The lone additional match in the series was played in 1993.
•    Navy has compiled a 5-17 record against teams currently in the ACC.  Last season saw the Mids play -- and defeat -- Notre Dame.

UCF Preview
•     UCF ended its 2022 season with an overall record of 28-2 and in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Knights shared the American Athletic Conference regular season title with a 19-1 record and received an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.
•     UCF placed ninth in the 13-team Big 12 Conference Preseason Poll this season.
•    Friday's match will be the first between the teams.
•    Navy has tallied a 1-7 record against teams currently in the Big 12 Conference.  The Mids last played a Big 12 team in 2021 when they played host to West Virginia.

UAlbany Preview
•     UAlbany posted an overall record of 7-20 last season and placed fifth in the America East Conference with a 2-8 record.
•     The Great Danes placed fifth in the America East Conference Preseason Poll this fall.
•    The teams have split the two prior matches in the series.  UAlbany won the initial meeting in 2002 and Navy won a four-set decision last year.  Both of those matches were played in Annapolis.
•    Navy has complied a 43-26-1 record against teams in the America East Conference.

Next Week
•    Navy plays host to the 12th edition of the Kristen Dickmann Invitational, Sept. 1-3 in Annapolis.
•    The Mids will welcome Utah Valley, Old Dominion and Maryland to the round-robin tournament.