There's a new look and a new feel to the Nipissing Lakers women's volleyball team, as they are less than a week away from their home opener.

And with that new look and feel come new expectations, as the OUA season begins.

The Lakers kick off the 2016-17 campaign with a match against the Lakehead Thunderwolves, a team they defeated in pre-season action.

And while that win was nice to get, Lakers head coach Marc LaRochelle said he expects the regular season to be more of a challenge, no matter the opponent.

"It will be very exciting to kick off the season at home, however, we need to execute our game plan and stay focused as we know Lakehead is a well-coached team and they will be ready to play," LaRochelle said.

Nipissing beat Lakehead 3-0 in McMaster during the Thanksgiving Classic.

Training camp was about two months ago and the Lakers have gone through practices, pre-season matches, workouts and it all leads up to Saturday.

LaRochelle said his team has worked hard and will be eager to hit the court for real this weekend.

"After a long pre-season I think everyone is looking forward to stepping on the court for regular season matches," he said.

Nipissing has a good mix of veterans and rookies, which should work nicely when it comes to depth and versatility.

The ability to use a fresh face can cause issues for opponents, but at the same time, relying on experience will be a nice asset for LaRochelle to have when he needs it.

"We have a great group of veteran players that will lead us through the ups and downs of a match all while remaining focused on our execution and game plan," he explained.

The Lakers will have a new opponent this season, as well, with Trent joining the OUA and Ottawa exiting, moving to RSEQ.

For the Lakers, it's a different opponent, but the goal remains the same.

With seven teams in the OUA East Division and top four advancing to the post-season, Nipissing will be looking to make their first appearance in the playoffs since joining the OUA.

But before any playoff talk surfaces, the Lakers have a job to do during the 19 regular season games, beginning with Saturday's matchup against the Thunderwolves.

Game time is set for 6pm Saturday at the RJS Athletic Centre.
 
 
Team Captains
Ahead of the home opener, the Lakers have named their 2016-17 team captains.

Veteran outside hitters Tracy Hammerton and Erika Lapierre, along with fifth year libero Christina Caruso.

All have been a part of the program long enough to know what it takes to be successful at this level and will be looking to guide the program to the next step.