ARCATA — Humboldt State volleyball goes on the road to begin the 2008 season, participating in this weekend's Otter Classic hosted by CSU Monterey Bay in Seaside. The Lumberjacks open play Friday at 8:30 a.m. against the University of North Dakota, then take on Merrimack College at 5:45 p.m. later the same day. On Saturday, the Jacks face Wayne State University at 8:30 a.m., then finish the tournament against Western Oregon at 5:45 p.m. The Lumberjacks will be back in Arcata for next week's home debut, the Humboldt Tournament on Sept. 5 and 6.
 
Live Stats: All Humboldt State University home matches feature LiveStats available online, allowing fans to track the action from their home computers. Conference matches can also be accessed  through the host school's web site.
 
Lumberjack Notes: Coach James Kealalio continues to guide the Jacks as they await the return of Sue Woodstra, the Jacks' head coach who has been on leave for the past year plus while serving with the USA national team. Kealalio directed the Jacks through the 2007 season, and has run practice sessions throughout the fall. Woodstra is expected to return some time next week. …No firm decisions have been made on this week's starting six. Kealalio said he's still evaluating the best combinations and will continue that process through the opening tournament. …Senior outside hitter Mallory Briney is still suffering the effects of a sprained wrist that has limited her practice time. Her status for the weekend remains uncertain. …One more unknown in the Jacks' future is when they'll be able to christen the new Lumberjack Gym court. Scheduled to practice in the facility this week, the Jacks had to delay plans when a construction mishap delayed installation of sleeves that will hold the volleyball net standards.
 
Opponents' Notes:  North Dakota University went 6-23 overall in 2007, finishing 0-12 and placing seventh in the North Central Conference. The Fighting Sioux have nine returning players including six starters. …Merrimack College finished the 2007 season with 19-14 overall record, finishing 12-3 in the Northeast Conference. …The Bentley Falcons have eight returning players, including two returning seniors. …Wayne State University went 10-15 overall in 2007 finishing 5-12, fourth in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Warriors have eight returning players on their roster, including four starters. …Western Oregon went 16-10 overall in 2007, finishing 13-5, second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The Wolves return 10 players including five starters. Seniors Kayla Mainer who averaged 3.99 kills and 4.19 digs per game, Stacey Bennett who averaged   2.95 kills per game, and Haley Kostrba finished with 2.79 kills per game will return to lead the Wolves' offensive attack.
 
Head to Head: The Lumberjacks lead the all-time series against North Dakota, 1-0. The teams last met in 1996 when Humboldt came away with a 3-2 victory. …The Lumberjacks are 1-0 against Merrimack College, coming away with a 3-0 victory in the only meeting in 2004. …The Lumberjacks have never matched up with Wayne State University. …The Jacks have a 7-15 all-time series record against Western Oregon University. The teams last met in 2007, with a 3-2 Lumberjack victory.
 
Kealalio Thoughts: “(The Otter Classic) gives us a chance to see other teams on the court other than ourselves.”… “The Classic will be an evaluation. It's an opportunity for me to evaluate the players and see where we are at as a team.”