UAlbany Volleyball Announces Challenging 2015 Schedule, Including Six Home Matches
ALBANY, N.Y. – UAlbany head volleyball coach MJ Engstrom has announced the team's 2015 schedule, including four in-season tournaments and a full America East slate.
The Great Danes will travel to four different states for a total of 12 matches in four in-season tournaments to get ready for conference play. The team will follow up with a 12-match America East slate, including six home contests at the University Gym.
In total, UAlbany will take on a challenging schedule, including five matches against opponents that participated in the 2014 NCAA Tournament. During the inseason tournaments, 11 of 12 of UAlbany's opponents had winning records overall, with four reaching their league title match.
The Purple and Gold finished tied for second place in the America East last season, earning a trip to the conference title match. 2014 all-conference players Laini Leindecker and Amanda Dolan each return, leading a team that returns four starters from last season.
UAlbany begins the season in Muncie, Indiana for the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge. It opens against tournament host Ball State on Friday, August 28th at noon, following that day against New Mexico at 5 p.m. On Saturday, August 29th, the squad takes on Belmont, the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference runner-up, at 4 p.m.
The following weekend, the Great Danes head to Ohio for the Golden Flashes Classic. UAlbany plays a Friday, September 4th match against reigning Horizon League champion and 2014 NCAA Tournament participant Oakland at 7 p.m. before a pair of Saturday, September 5th matches, taking on tournament host Kent State at 11 a.m. and Indiana State at 5 p.m.
UAlbany stays in the home state the next weekend, heading to Hamilton for the Colgate Classic. The invitational begins with UAlbany playing reigning Ivy League champion Yale on Friday, September 11th at 4 p.m. On Saturday, September 12th, the Great Danes play Big Ten opponent Rutgers at 10 a.m. then tournament host Colgate at 7 p.m. to finish the event.
In the final weekend before conference play begins, the Purple and Gold fly to Wisconsin to compete in the Marquette Invitational. The squad takes on IUPUI, which was the runner-up in the Summit League in 2014, to open the tournament on Friday, September 18th at 5 p.m. ET. On Saturday, September 19th, UAlbany battles tournament host Marquette, a 2014 NCAA Tournament at-large competitor from the Big East Conference, at 1 p.m., then finishes up against Wichita State at 6 p.m.
The Great Danes begin America East play on the road, taking on in-state rival Binghamton in Vestal on Friday, September 25th at 7 p.m.
UAlbany opens at home with a pair of league matches. The home opener will be a rematch of the 2014 America East title match as UAlbany hosts reigning league champion New Hampshire at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 2nd. The weekend concludes with UAlbany playing Hartford on Sunday, October 4th at 2 p.m.
The next weekend, UAlbany heads south for two matches. The squad plays UMBC in Baltimore on Friday, October 9th at 7 p.m., then Stony Brook on Long Island on Sunday, October 11th at 1 p.m.
The team returns home for two matches at the University Gym over the next two weeks. UAlbany hosts UMass Lowell on Sunday, October 18th at 2 p.m. and Binghamton on Friday, October 23rd at 7 p.m.
Back on the road goes UAlbany the next weekend for two matches up north, taking on Hartford on Friday, October 30th at 7 p.m. and New Hampshire on Sunday, November 1st at 1 p.m.
UAlbany's last two regular season home matches occur the next weekend, starting with the Great Danes playing Stony Brook on Friday, November 6th at 7 p.m. Senior Day is set for Sunday, November 8th at 2 p.m. against UMBC.
Conference play wraps up on Friday, November 13th at 7 p.m. as UAlbany travels east to play UMass Lowell.
The America East Tournament will be hosted by the conference's regular season champion, taking place on the weekend of November 20-22. UAlbany has earned a trip to the America East Tournament each of the last 13 seasons.
2015 UAlbany Volleyball Schedule
| Date |
Opponent |
Location |
Time (ET) |
| Ball State Active Ankle Challenge |
|
|
|
| 8/28 |
@ Ball State |
Muncie, Ind. |
12 p.m. |
| 8/28 |
vs. New Mexico |
Muncie, Ind. |
5 p.m. |
| 8/29 |
vs. Belmont |
Muncie, Ind. |
4 p.m. |
| Golden Flashes Classic |
|
|
|
| 9/4 |
vs. Oakland |
Kent, Ohio |
7 p.m. |
| 9/5 |
@ Kent State |
Kent, Ohio |
11 a.m. |
| 9/5 |
vs. Indiana State |
Kent, Ohio |
5 p.m. |
| Colgate Classic |
|
|
|
| 9/11 |
vs. Yale |
Hamilton, N.Y. |
4 p.m. |
| 9/12 |
vs. Rutgers |
Hamilton, N.Y. |
10 a.m. |
| 9/12 |
@ Colgate |
Hamilton, N.Y. |
7 p.m. |
| Marquette Invitational |
|
|
|
| 9/18 |
vs. IUPUI |
Milwaukee, Wis. |
5 p.m. |
| 9/19 |
@ Marquette |
Milwaukee, Wis. |
1 p.m. |
| 9/19 |
vs. Wichita State |
Milwaukee, Wis. |
6 p.m. |
| America East Conference Play |
|
|
|
| 9/25 |
@ Binghamton* |
Vestal, N.Y. |
7 p.m. |
| 10/2 |
New Hampshire* |
Albany, N.Y. |
7 p.m. |
| 10/4 |
Hartford* |
Albany, N.Y. |
2 p.m. |
| 10/9 |
@ UMBC* |
Baltimore, Md. |
7 p.m. |
| 10/11 |
@ Stony Brook* |
Stony Brook, N.Y. |
1 p.m. |
| 10/18 |
UMass Lowell* |
Albany, N.Y. |
2 p.m. |
| 10/23 |
Binghamton* |
Albany, N.Y. |
7 p.m. |
| 10/30 |
@ Hartford* |
West Hartford, Conn. |
7 p.m. |
| 11/1 |
@ New Hampshire* |
Durham, N.H. |
1 p.m. |
| 11/6 |
Stony Brook* |
Albany, N.Y. |
7 p.m. |
| 11/8 |
UMBC* |
Albany, N.Y. |
2 p.m. |
| 11/13 |
@ UMass Lowell* |
Lowell, Mass. |
7 p.m. |
| America East Tournament |
|
|
|
| 11/20-21 |
AE Semifinals |
TBA |
TBA |
| 11/21-22 |
AE Finals |
TBA |
TBA |
