Indiana University Volleyball Team Releases 2010 Schedule
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The 2010 Indiana University volleyball schedule has been released and it includes 12 non-conference matches beginning on Aug. 27, followed by the 20-match Big Ten docket starting on Sept. 22.
It all gets started in Atlanta, Ga., with a tournament hosted by Georgia Tech from Aug. 27-28. Indiana will face fierce competition right from the get-go, taking on the host Yellow Jackets in the season opener. GA Tech advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago, going 21-10 overall and 15-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. On day two of the tournament, Indiana hits the courts against UAB and Alabama A&M.
The Hoosiers will then return to Bloomington to host the IU adidas Classic. The doors of University Gym re-open for the 2010 home season on Sept. 3 when the Red Wolves of Arkansas State take the court against IU at 7 p.m. The following day presents two more matches for Indiana, contests versus Illinois State and North Carolina State.
Next up is a trip to the state of New York, the Niagara Falls and a cross-town tournament hosted by both Niagara University and Canisius College. The Hoosiers are slated for a quartet of matches during the weekend of Sept. 10-11. Indiana battles Robert Morris and Colgate on Friday before concluding the weekend with matches against Niagara ('09 NCAA Qualifier) and Bucknell on Saturday.
Non-conference action comes to an end on Sept. 18 in Oxford, Ohio where the Cream and Crimson are scheduled for a double-dip. Indiana's twin bill includes matches versus DePaul and the host Miami (OH) RedHawks.
The gauntlet of Big Ten play looms next, starting on Sept. 22. The Big Ten is considered one of, if not the best volleyball conference in the nation. In addition to Penn State claiming their third straight national title last season, the conference had six NCAA Qualifiers and four teams advance to the Sweet 16, making up 25% of the final 16 teams vying for a championship.
Big Ten action gets started with a bang, a Wednesday night (Sept. 22) showdown with the Purdue Boilermakers. The Hoosiers will wake up the following day and head to Evanston, Ill., in preparation for a Friday night fight at Northwestern.
October includes 10 matches, consisting of five rotating weekends between away and home. The road trips include Iowa/Minnesota (Oct. 1 & 3), Wisconsin/Illinois (Oct. 15-16) and Penn State/Ohio State (Oct. 29-30). Sandwiched in-between all the travel are a pair of home weekends featuring Ohio State/Penn State (Oct. 8-9) and Michigan/Michigan State (Oct. 22-23).
The alternating weekends continue into November as Indiana plays host to Minnesota and Iowa on Nov. 5-6. Wednesday, Nov. 10th's match will have a little more meaning than the rest, a jaunt up to West Lafayette for ownership of the Monon Spike.
Indiana is then set to host the Wildcats of Northwestern on Sat., Nov. 6 before flying to Michigan to take on the Spartans and Wolverines (Nov. 19-20). The regular season comes to an end at home inside U-Gym with matches versus Illinois and Wisconsin (Nov. 26-27).
