Albany, N.Y. - University at Albany Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced on Friday, July 22 the school's women's volleyball schedule for the 2011 season. The Great Danes, who are coming off their fifth America East Conference championship and an NCAA appearance, will compete in early-season tournaments at Florida State, Colorado and Ohio State. UAlbany will also face the Ivy League's Yale and crosstown-rival Siena at home, along with six America East Conference opponents.
UAlbany kicks off the 2011 slate at the Florida State Invitational, taking on the Seminoles along with Kentucky and Tulsa. The Great Danes then play four matches in Colorado, facing off against Colorado State, Colorado, Nebraska, while also meeting the Slovenian National Team in an exhibition match. On Sept. 9-10, UAlbany visits Fordham for the Rose Hill Classic, taking on the host school, Colorado and Siena. The following weekend will take the Great Danes to Columbus, Ohio for the Ohio State Sports Imports Classic. UAlbany squares off with Akron, the host Buckeyes and Maryland in the two-day tournament.
After concluding in-season tournament play, UAlbany welcomes Yale in the home opener at University Gymnasium on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. America East action will begin on Sept. 25, as the Great Danes visit Binghamton for a 5 p.m. match up. UAlbany continues a road swing to Stony Brook on Sept. 30 and UMBC on Oct. 2 before returning home to play Providence on Oct. 7. The Great Danes will play three straight matches on the road from Oct. 14-19, visiting Hartford and New Hampshire in league action, while also visiting non-conference opponent Colgate. A string of four straight home matches follows against the Bearcats, Retrievers and Seawolves, and ending the homestand with a Dig Pink match against Siena on Oct. 30. UAlbany closes out the schedule visiting Providence on Nov. 6 and entertaining New Hampshire (Nov. 11) and Hartford (Nov. 13) in America East action to wrap up the regular season.
In 2010, UAlbany won its fifth America East championship in the last seven years, posting a 22-9 record and reaching the 20-win plateau for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. The Great Danes return all-conference hitter Casey Wright, who started all 31 matches for UAlbany last season and averaged 3.30 kills and 1.04 blocks per game, and setter Brooke Stanley, the 2009 America East Conference Player and Setter of the Year, who missed last season with an injury. Three-time conference defensive player of the year Laurie Gonzalez is back after leading the conference with 5.16 digs per game a year ago.
-agate-
2011 University at Albany Volleyball Schedule
August: 26 (Fri.) vs. Kentucky+, 11 a.m.; 26 (Fri.) vs. Tulsa+, 4:30 p.m.; 27 (Sat.) at Florida State+, 11:30 a.m.
September: 1 (Thurs.) vs. Slovenian National Team (Exhibition)^, 9 p.m.; 3 (Sat.) vs. Nebraska^^, 2 p.m.; 3 (Sat.) at Colorado State, 9 p.m.; 4 (Sun.) at Colorado^, 4 p.m.; 9 (Fri.) at Fordham#, 7 p.m.; 10 (Sat.) vs. Colorado#, 12 p.m.; 10 (Sat.) vs. Siena#, 5 p.m.; 16 (Fri.) vs. Akron%, 12 p.m.; 16 (Fri.) at Ohio State%, 5 p.m.; 17 (Sat.) vs. Maryland%, 1 p.m.; 21 (Wed.) Yale, 7 p.m.; 25 (Sun.) at Binghamton*, 5 p.m.; 30 (Fri.) at Stony Brook*, 7 p.m.
October: 2 (Sun.) at UMBC*, 1 p.m.; 7 (Fri.) Providence*, 7 p.m.; 14 (Fri.) at Hartford*, 6 p.m.; 16 (Sun.) at New Hampshire*, 1 p.m.; 19 (Wed.), at Colgate, 7 p.m.; 23 (Sun.) Binghamton*, 5 p.m.; 28 (Fri.) UMBC*, 7 p.m.; 30 (Sun.) Stony Brook*, 1 p.m.
November: 2 (Wed.) Siena$, 7 p.m.; 6 (Sun.) at Providence*, 4 p.m.; 11 (Fri.) New Hampshire*, 7 p.m.; 13 (Sun.) Hartford*, 2 p.m.
*America East Conference Opponent +Florida State Invitational ^Omni Hotels Colorado Volleyball Classic
^^Fort Collins, Colorado #Rose Hill Classic %Ohio State Sports Imports Classic
$Dig Pink All Times Eastern
