KENOSHA, Wis. – The Carthage College women's volleyball team opens their 2015 season on the west coast facing a loaded schedule this weekend.  The Lady Reds volleyball team will visit the suburbs of Los Angeles, as Carthage will compete in the 2015 Pomona-Pitzer "Pacific Coast Classic", September 5th – 6th. 
 
Carthage enters the 2015 season being named the No. 12 team in the country according to the 2015 American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Preseason Poll.  Additionally, the Lady Reds were picked to repeat as College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin champions in the 2015 CCIW preseason coaches poll.
 
Carthage will look to build on their success from a season ago when the Lady Reds reached the NCAA Regional Championship before falling to the nation's top team, Calvin College.  
 
Entering her 14th season as the women's volleyball head coach, Leanne Ulmer, enters 2015 coming off her seventh CCIW Women's Volleyball Coach of the Year Award after leading Carthage to a 36-4 overall record and 7-0 conference record to claim the regular season title.  Ulmer returns second team All-American and co-CCIW Player of the Year Karen Chin, as well as, All-American honorable mention Emily Heuermann.  Additionally, the Lady Reds will return all-CCIW first teamer, Bria Hailey.
 
Friday, Carthage will play their opening matches in La Verne, Calif. against the University of Puget Sound at 9 a.m. PST, followed by facing-off versus the day's host, the University of La Verne at 11:15 a.m. PST.
 
Saturday, Carthage will travel to Claremont, Calif. to face two top-10 AVCA powers.  The Lady Reds will visit Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College, on the Stags' home-court at 9 a.m. PST before closing out the weekend at 11:15 a.m. PST with a match against the No. 5 team in the country, California Lutheran University. 
 
Following the Pomona-Pitzer "Pacific Coast Classic", Carthage will return to the Midwest for the 2015 Washington University (Mo.) "Baden Invitational", as Carthage will play another four matches over two days in St. Louis from September 11th-12th.