TULSA, Oklahoma – Madeline Drake's smile was a little larger this week.
 
The always-upbeat sophomore middle blocker's reason comes into focus Friday at 3 p.m. when her Northwestern State volleyball team opens play in her hometown's Tulsa Volleyball Invitational against Louisiana Tech.
 
"I'm most excited to see my friends and family," said Drake, who played high school volleyball for Regent Preparatory School and club ball for Club ONE. "My old coaches will get to watch, and I'm excited to see them and play in front of a big home crowd."
 
Drake said she could not pinpoint the exact number of people she expected to adorn purple inside the Reynolds Center this weekend just that a sizeable throng should be there.
 
In her sophomore season, Drake has made great strides, ranking third on the team in kills (66) while connecting for a team-leading .213 hitting percentage. Against Southeast Missouri State on Sept. 2, Drake etched her name in the school record books, collecting 13 kills and a .722 hitting percentage that ranks seventh in school history.
 
"I definitely have more experience, and I feel more integrated with the team," Drake said. "I'm excited to go home and show everyone how hard I worked to get here."
 
In addition to facing Louisiana Tech (6-5), Tulsa (8-1) and Oral Roberts (6-4), Drake will have to battle her emotions.
 
"I was talking to my mom (Tuesday) night, and she wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be nervous," said Drake, who added she was looking forward to her younger sister watching her play in person. "She said to forget about (who's there) and have fun. I get excited when I play in front of a lot of people, so I think it will provide a little kick."
 
While Drake's mother won't be on the bench this weekend, Drake will have a calming voice in head coach Sean Kiracofe.
 
"I don't know if there's a good way to handle it," Kiracofe said. "You never know how somebody is going to handle that situation. Some people can go out there and try to do too much. You try to make sure your routine is the same. You remind them before they begin tht first set what their responsibilities are, try to take their mind off being at home and who's in the stands."
 
The Lady Demons (5-7) traveled to Tulsa on Thursday and planned to eat dinner at the Drakes' home. On the menu were pasta with alfredo or meat sauce prepared by Drake's mother and chicken cooked by her father.
 
Once the meal is consumed, NSU opens tournament play with its third match against a Louisiana opponent. The Lady Demons own victories against UL Lafayette (3-2) and UL Monroe (3-1).
 
Louisiana Tech is the third Conference USA opponent for NSU, which swept UAB before being swept by Southern Miss.
 
"It's another opportunity to compete against a Louisiana team," Kiracofe said. "It's always something we get for. Everyone looks forward to those matches."
 
After facing Louisiana Tech, Northwestern State wraps up tournament season with an 11 a.m. match against Tulsa and a 4 p.m. showdown with former Southland Conference rival Oral Roberts on Saturday.
 
"Oral Roberts is athletic at the pin, and they were long in the middle when we saw them last year at Ole Miss," Kiracofe said. "They have Laura Milos, who has pretty much the most swings in the country. They trust her, and we know she can get things done. Can we slow everybody else and find weaknesses that way?
 
"Tulsa lost a lot from when I played them in conference, but they've had people step up and had a great beginning to the year. It will be interesting to see how they're going to go about attacking us. They're a little more athletic, top to bottom. We've faced teams like that so far and competed with them."
 
Weekend Schedule
Friday
3 p.m. – Northwestern State vs. Louisiana Tech
7 p.m. – Oral Roberts at Tulsa
Saturday
9 a.m. – Louisiana Tech vs. Oral Roberts
11 a.m. – Northwestern State at Tulsa
4 p.m. – Northwestern State vs. Oral Roberts
7 p.m. – Louisiana Tech at Tulsa