Tyler Junior College volleyball players Aaliyah Sneed, Isabella Constantini, Alexa Hayes and McKenna Ferris at a fall sports media day at the CHRISTUS Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute on July 24.

Tyler Junior College gets the 2023 volleyball season started this week.

The Apache Ladies will host Dallas College Eastfield at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Wagstaff Gymnasium.

TJC will then play in the NMMI Classic in Roswell, New Mexico, on Friday and Saturday. The Apache Ladies will face South Mountain Community College at 10 a.m. Friday, Utah State Eastern at 2 p.m. Friday, Eastern Arizona College at 6 p.m. Friday, Pima Community College at 9 a.m. Saturday and Odessa College at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Brandi Goldman is entering her ninth season as the head coach of the Apache Ladies. TJC is just two years removed from a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA National Volleyball Tournament and is looking to get back to that level after a 19-19 overall record and a 10-6 conference mark last season. The Apache Ladies went to the national tournament twice in 2021, going in the spring season — created by the COVID-19 pandemic — and then again in the fall season.

“We just want to get back to that TJC volleyball success,” Goldman said. “I think that we fell off last season, and I would say that’s more of having people who want to follow the standards and believing in the standards that are set. I think we have a lot of maturity and responsibility this season, and I think they’re going to take a lot of their success on their shoulders and not leave it up to me to make them successful.”

Goldman was joined by freshman Aaliyah Sneed, freshman Isabella Constantini, sophomore Alexa Hayes and freshman McKenna Ferris at a fall sports media day at the CHRISTUS Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute on July 24 to talk about the upcoming season.

“I expect to go in with a bang and help everybody have energy and play like we know we can basically,” said Snead, a first-year middle blocker from Atlanta, Georgia.

“I’m really excited about it,” said Constantini, a setter from Curitiba, Brazil. “I really feel as a team we are great and as individuals, also.”

“The expectations are high, but I know we can reach them,” said Hayes, who is from San Diego, California. “I have no doubt in my mind. Everybody coming in is a hard worker, so I’m just expecting greatness. No matter the outcome, I know we’re going to be hard workers, and we’re going to put on a show.”

“Like she said, the expectations are very high,” said Ferris, who is a newcomer from Klein Collins High School. “I know we can reach them if we really set our goals and work hard for it.”

The Apache Ladies’ regular season home opener will be Aug. 25 against Dallas College Richland. TJC will host Blinn College in the Region XIV opener on Aug. 29.