FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State University
volleyball team announced a 31-match schedule for the 2014 season that will
feature four non-conference tournaments on the road, nine home matches, and a
return to a 16-match Summit League slate.
“After our strong finish in Summit League play last
season, we are looking to continue that momentum into preseason of this year,”
said NDSU head coach Kari Thompson, who enters her fourth year at the helm of
the Bison program. “It will be important for us to be comfortable and
competitive on the road, and our non-conference schedule will prepare us for
that.”
The Bison will open the season with three matches at
defending Horizon League champion Milwaukee’s Panther Invitational on Aug.
29-30. NDSU will also play non-conference weekend tournaments hosted by New
Mexico State, Bradley and Towson. Two other non-league games will be played – a
home opener against North Dakota on Sept. 9 and a match at Valparaiso on Oct.
19.
With the return of Oral Roberts to The Summit League for
the 2014-15 academic year, all Summit League teams will now play 16 conference
matches. After opening the season with 14 of their first 15 matches away from
Fargo, the Bison will close the regular season with six of their final eight
matches at home in the historic Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
In all, NDSU is scheduled to face five schools that
appeared in the 2013 NCAA Volleyball Tournament, with three of those coming
Sept. 4-5 in Las Cruces, N.M., in the form of New Mexico State, Radford and
California.
“We will see a variety of styles of play and will face
some strong successful programs that will challenge us,” said Thompson. “I’m
looking forward to what this fall will bring for our maturing team.”
IUPUI will host the Summit League Tournament in
Indianapolis on Nov. 21-23 after winning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA
Tournament last season.
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