NEW LEADER: After being the squad's top assistant for the past three seasons,
Dr. Cade Smith was named the program's third-ever head coach on Feb. 4 to lead the team in the 2016 campaign. Smith has been integral to the program's steady growth over the past three years, as the team has raised its winning percentage in each of the past three seasons. Smith has added former Charger
Ashton Baker and
Tanequa Whitman – who played collegiately at Shorter – as assistant coaches on his staff.
LOOKING BACK: The Chargers finished the 2015 season with a 19-15 overall record and a 10-10 mark within the Gulf South Conference, ending the campaign with a GSC tournament loss at Shorter by a 3-1 margin. UAH returns 10 players from last season, while welcoming seven newcomers to the roster.
COACHES POLL: UAH was voted to finish fifth in the league this season in the GSC preseason coaches' poll, with West Florida earning the top spot in the prognostication for the sixth consecutive season. The squads following UWF in the poll were North Alabama, Valdosta State and Shorter in second, third and fourth, respectively.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP:
Rachel Brugman enters her fourth year in the Blue and White with the fourth-best rated hitting percentage in program history at .287, after owning a team-high .313 hitting percentage with 195 kills last season. Brugman also helped strengthen the Chargers defensive effort in 2015 as she ranked second on the team with 86 total blocks.
DEFENSIVE ANCHOR: Sophomore
Haley Hop is looking to build on a promising freshman campaign, in which the Madison, Alabama, native led the squad with 463 digs and a 3.89 digs per set average. Hop was named the GSC Defensive Player of the Week once as a freshman, and had posted 15 or more digs on 16 occasions.
MATCHUP HISTORIES: The Chargers hold all-time records of 6-4 against Ouachita Baptist and 1-0 versus Spring Hill, while the UAH Classic finale matchup between UAH and Kentucky Wesleyan will be the first meeting for the two programs.
