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STATESBORO, Ga. - There has been quite a bit of change around the Georgia Southern volleyball program over the last few months. The Eagles have a new coach, a new locker room and six newcomers on the 2013 roster. There will be different systems, different lineups, a different Southern Conference schedule and even different uniforms.

But not everything has changed for the Eagles. For a team coming off a 25-7 record and a regular-season title, the expectations and the aspirations remain the same. The Eagles were picked second in the Southern Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll earlier this month. How quickly and easily Georgia Southern is able to deal with the changes on the court will likely dictate whether they can repeat that feat and add a SoCon Tournament title to it.

"The experience of our veterans has been very helpful," said first-year coach Dustin Wood. "We have very good leaders on the team who have been asked to do things they've never been asked to do and handled that very well. It has made my job a lot easier than it could have been. Our philosophy is to try to put them in really stressful situations in practice and then when match time comes around on Friday and Saturday nights, it's easier for them."

The Eagles will enter the campaign winners of 13 of their last 14 matches, but three all-league seniors from the 2012 season have graduated. Filling their void will be paramount to Georgia Southern's success, and Wood believes the talent is there to do so, starting at the net.

Wood expects the middle position to be Georgia Southern's strength as preseason All-SoCon selection Kym Coley returns along with senior Enjoli Johnson and sophomore Crysten Curry. Coley, a junior, finished third on the team in kills with 255 and led the squad with 98 blocks, while Johnson averaged 2.03 kills per set in an injury-plagued season. Curry was named SoCon All-Freshman after posting a team-leading 1.06 blocks per set with a bulk of her playing time coming during the league schedule.

"I think all three of our middles can be all-conference players," said Wood.

Georgia Southern has proven offensive firepower returning on the outside in junior Jamie DeRatt and senior Nicole Jeschelnik, who shared time a season ago. DeRatt averaged 1.79 kills and 2.48 digs a set, while Jeschelnik averaged 1.87 kills and 2.44 digs a frame.

The Eagles, who ranked 26th in the country in team digs in 2012, should be strong defensively again this season. Defensive specialists Alexandra Beecher, Lauren LaRocque and Meghan Morillo are back as well. Beecher earned SoCon All-Freshman honors after posting a school single-season record 604 digs. LaRocque, a senior, missed the first part of the campaign because of injury but collected 1.34 digs a set. Morillo, a sophomore, averaged 1.36 digs a set in 53 frames.

Sophomore Katalin Minnerly will look to take over the setting role after posting 45 assists, 32 digs and five aces as a freshman. With her 6-foot-1 height, freshman Kelly Scott will battle for playing time and give the Eagles a different defensive look at setter.

New to the program are a pair of sophomore transfers who hope to contribute. Katie Bange averaged 1.95 kills per set and hit .207 as a freshman at Middle Tennessee State in 2012, while Christina Vereb played in 26 matches and started 16 as a redshirt freshman at South Carolina. Megan Chevalier, Leah Joseph and Avery Stephens join Scott as the freshmen on the roster who will push for playing time.

The Eagles get a look at their future Sun Belt competition early in the season as they travel to South Alabama and Troy on the first weekend of action and meet Arkansas State in the Ole Miss Magnolia Invitational in week two.

Georgia Southern will open its home slate against Georgia in Hanner Fieldhouse Sept. 10 before hosting its two home tournaments, the SpringHill Suites Invitational and the Bash in the Boro on consecutive weekends. The Eagles will also be at home for the first two conference weekends, giving them 11 straight home games from mid-September to early October.

Georgia Southern caps the regular season with a pair of league matches at home, and Furman will host the SoCon Tournament, beginning Nov. 23.

"All we can worry about now is ourselves," said Wood. "Our main focus for the first two weekends is
what we are doing and how we are playing. Down the road, we'll get into what our opponents are doing but for now, let's control what we do."