MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College volleyball team is proud to announce that it will sponsor a canned food drive in conjunction with the Pioneer Classic, which will take place inside Ban Johnson Arena Sept. 24-25.

Head Coach Ray Costa and the Pioneers will be accepting non-perishable food items at the door. Donated items will then be presented to the Community Food Pantry in Marietta.

"One of the members of our team came to me with the idea of running a canned food drive at one of our games for a project she is doing in class," Costa said. "I thought it was a great idea to help make an impact in our local community and was excited at the prospect of helping families in need. I believe our fans will do a great job in supporting this cause and encourage all fans in attendance to make a donation that will directly impact local families in need."

The four-team Pioneer Classic kicks off Friday (Sept. 24) when Washington & Lee University takes on Thiel College at 5 p.m. Marietta will then open its Ohio Athletic Conference schedule against John Carroll University at 7 p.m. Action continues Saturday (Sept. 25) when Marietta battles Washington & Lee and John Carroll plays Thiel at 11 a.m. The Classic concludes when Marietta takes on Thiel and Washington & Lee goes head-to-head with John Carroll in a pair of matches at 1 p.m.

Daily admission will be charged to spectators: $5.00 for adults, $2.00 for students (must present I.D.) and senior citizens. An adult tournament pass will sell for $8.00. All college students are admitted free with their I.D.