LET THE SEASON BEGIN: The Ball State men's volleyball team kicks off the 2008 season this week with a trip to Hawaii for the 2008 Outrigger Hotels Invitational . . . Play in the three-day tournament begins at 4 p.m. Thursday, when the Cardinals battle No. 3 UCLA . . . Ball State will play in the featured match versus No. 11 Hawaii Friday night at 7 p.m., before concluding the event with a 4 p.m. showdown with No. 4 Penn State.

MORE ABOUT THE HAWAII TRIP: When Ball State plays in the 2008 Outrigger Hotels Invitational, it will mark the program's sixth trip to the state of Hawaii . . . BSU's last trip to Hawaii came in 2005.

Visit www.ballstatesports.com for more.