Seattle University head volleyball coach James Finley has announced the 2014 fall schedule for the Redhawk volleyball team, which includes four teams that competed in the 2013 NCAA Division I Volleyball Tournament last year.
“The 2014 schedule will be challenging for the young Redhawk squad. It will provide a balance of playing the top competition nationally along with opportunities to advance our program with most preseason teams being ranked ahead of the Redhawks in the 2014 season. This schedule will help prepare our team for the WAC regular season and the ultimate prize, a WAC Tournament championship,” Finley said.
After hosting the Red and White Scrimmage Saturday, Aug. 23, the Redhawks head to Albuquerque, N.M., for a tournament hosted by the University of New Mexico Aug. 29-30. Besides the host Lobos, Seattle U will face Texas, who won the national title in 2012 and reached the national semifinals last season, and UTEP.
Seattle U returns to the Connolly Center to host the Redhawk Invitational, featuring 7 p.m. matches against Pacific Sept. 4, Lafayette Sept. 5, and Oregon State Sept. 6. The next weekend, the Redhawks join the University of Washington in co-hosting a tournament, starting when Seattle U heads across town to face the Huskies, also in the national semifinals in 2013, Sept. 11. The Redhawks welcome UNLV to the Connolly Center Sept. 12 as well as UC Davis Sept. 13.
“This program is looking forward to continuing to draw fans from the University and the community as we play five non-conference matches at home in September,” Finley said. “Our matches away from home include two teams that reached the national semifinals in 2013 – Washington and Texas – and we anticipate the challenge of playing those high-caliber programs.”
The Redhawks play five straight matches away from home, starting with non-conference matches at Eastern Washington Sept. 16 and at Montana Sept. 18. Seattle U will stay in Missoula, Mont., to face Gonzaga Sept. 19 before heading south to take on 2013 NCAA Tournament participant Oregon Sept. 23.
The Western Athletic Conference slate begins for Seattle U with a road contest at Utah Valley Sept. 27. The first home conference matches for the Redhawks take place Oct. 2 against Texas-Pan American and Oct. 4 against defending WAC regular season and tournament champion New Mexico State.
Seattle U hits the road the next weekend for matches at Chicago State (Oct. 9) and Kansas City (Oct. 11) before a three-match homestand featuring contests against Bakersfield (Oct. 16), Grand Canyon (Oct. 18), and Utah Valley (Oct. 25). Four of the final six regular season conference matches take place on the road, with home matches against Kansas City (Nov. 6) and Bakersfield (Nov. 8) sandwiched between weekend road trips.
Pending approval by the WAC Board next week, the WAC Volleyball Tournament will take place Thursday, Nov. 20 through Saturday, Nov. 22 at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, Calif. Once again this season, the top six teams in the final regular season league standings, excluding Grand Canyon, will qualify for the conference tournament, with the winner receiving the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
After the WAC Tournament, the Redhawks have scheduled one more match, making the quick trip to Portland, Ore., to face the University of Portland Pilots Saturday, Nov. 29. In total, Seattle U will play 28 regular season matches, 12 at home along with 13 true road matches and three neutral site contests.
“The 2014 schedule will provide an exciting opportunity for our program,” added Finley. “It gives us good competition along with returning six starters and adding a talented freshman class. We look forward to taking another step in our quest of building a championship program.”
To download the 2014 Seattle University volleyball schedule into Outlook or iCal, click here.