TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (August 20, 2018) - After a long training camp, the No. 15 Salt Lake Community College volleyball program will get its first competitive opportunity Friday.

The Bruins, who are figuring to be one of the top contenders in the Scenic West Athletic Conference, will open their 2018 campaign on the road in a four-match tournament hosted by Casper College in Casper, Wyo. The tournament opens a stretch of four consecutive weekends of tournaments for Salt Lake, with tournament action making up almost all of SLCC's preseason schedule.

After a positive end to their training camp late last week, Bruins coach Sue Dulaney said her squad is excited to start official competition.

"We are looking forward to getting this season underway," said Dulaney, who begins her 11th season roaming the sidelines for SLCC. "Last season is in the history books and this season already has a different feel."

The new-look, new-feel Bruins will play a tournament schedule of all Wyoming schools, with their first match dropping at 1:00 p.m. against Sheridan College Friday. SLCC will play Casper Friday evening at 7:00 p.m., with matches on Saturday against Northeastern Junior College and Northwest College. 

Dulaney said a series of scrimmages over the last week gave her team confidence heading into this week's season-opener.

"We had three scrimmages against NCAA Division-I programs and got to work with a lot of different lineups that put players in different positions," she said. "It was a great opportunity for the coaching staff and the team to see their progress over three weeks. I think the mix of activities and trainings we did this year helped with that."

While Salt Lake will start its season the road, the Bruins will play their first match inside the Lifetime Activities Center on Tuesday, Aug. 28, as Salt Lake hosts Eastern Arizona in a one-off match before hosting the annual "Crystal 'Inn'vitational" tournament on Labor Day weekend. Salt Lake's SWAC opener will take place on Sept. 21 against USU Eastern in Price.