The SMU Volleyball team competes against UCF in a match last season. STUART PALLEY/The Daily Campus

Tonight, the SMU women’s volleyball team will put their summer’s worth of hard work to use while hosting the first home game of the season.

The Mustangs will take on the University of North Texas Mean Green at 7 in Moody Coliseum. Both teams competed in the Mean Green Volleyball Classic, which was held at UNT last weekend on Aug. 28 and 29. Although the teams did not play each other, they both competed against UT-San Antonio, New Mexico State and Northern Colorado. SMU easily beat UT-San Antonio 3-1, while UNT lost to UT-San Antonio by one game. Both teams lost to Northern Colorado and New Mexico State.

After a less than satisfying opening season tournament, the Mustangs are ready to step it up with home court advantage on their side. Head coach Lisa Seifert claims that the team intends to improve their defensive skills throughout the season, while maintaining their heightened offensive dynamic.

Last season, SMU trounced UNT, 3-0, in Denton. The Mustangs have added four new freshman names to their roster this year, three more than their North Texas competition, which only added one player. It is predicted that the match-up will be similar to last fall’s win, though both teams are looking for a turnaround year. The Mustangs are working hard to continue on the path of progression, in hopes of bettering the program throughout the seasons ahead.

Seifert says that this year, her team is composed of the best athletic talent she has coached in her 14 seasons with SMU. With such potential talent on the court tonight, the team is hopeful that the Mustang community will come out and support the women and their comeback.