SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo beach volleyball program will open up its third campaign Saturday, February 8 in Tavares, Fla. as the Lions battle both Warner and Lake Sumter in a pair of neutral site matches. The season marks the first under beach head coach Michael Shearer who will guide the Lions through a 30-match regular season schedule that features 10 home matches over five home dates.
 
The Lions will face three teams ranked in the final 2019 AVCA Beach Volleyball Poll including sixth-ranked Stetson, 15^th-ranked Georgia State and 17^th-ranked Florida Atlantic. Two other 2020 opponents received votes in the final poll including College of Charleston and Tampa. The Spartans of Tampa are also the defending champions of the AVCA Small College Beach Championships where the Lions finished fifth a season ago.
 
The first chance for fans to catch the Lions at home will be during their annual Green & Gold practice which will take place Saturday, February 1 at 1 p.m. The first official home match will take place just over a month later as the Lions host both Erskine and UT Martin on Monday, March 2 for a tri-match starting at noon.
 
The Lions toughest weekend on paper will come February 28-29 as the Lions travel to Stetson where they will face all three of the nationally-ranked opponents on their schedule over the two days.  
 
The season will conclude at the AVCA Small College Beach Championship in Tavares, Fla., April 17-19.
 
The Lions went 12-14 a season ago including 6-1 at home. The year concluded with the Lions winning three of their final four matches at the AVCA Small College Beach Championships to finish in fifth place and win the Silver Bracket.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo beach volleyball program, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com.  Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.