NEW ORLEANS — Nine home matches and a new campus venue, the Convocation Academic Center, are among the highlights of the 2012 Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyball schedule.
Christabell Hamilton — the 2011 Louisiana Coach of the Year and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Co-Coach of the Year — announced Wednesday the schedule, which includes 24 regular-season contests.
Xavier's first home match will start at 7 p.m. on Sept. 4 against crosstown rival Loyola. That match is expected to be played at The Barn, Xavier's gymnasium since 1937, while construction of the CAC nears completion.
"We've been told to prepare to start the season at The Barn," Hamilton said. "But at some point this season we will be playing in the new arena. No matter where we play, we're looking forward to another successful and exciting year."
Xavier's other non-conference home opponents will be Spring Hill — 40-3 a year ago — on Sept. 11, Mobile on Sept. 18 and Belhaven on Oct. 29. The other five home matches will be against GCAC teams: Edward Waters on Oct. 5, Dillard on Oct. 8, Tougaloo on Oct. 25, Talladega on Oct. 27 and SUNO on Nov. 1.
Xavier will begin its fifth season Aug. 24-25 in the Lee Invitational at Cleveland, Tenn. On opening day the Gold Nuggets will play a pair of 30-match winners and NAIA National Championship qualifiers from 2011 — Lindsey Wilson at 12:30 p.m. EDT and national semifinalist Lee at 7 p.m. — then play defending Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season champion Union (Ky.) the following day at 3 p.m.
"Lee's tournament will be a great test for us," Hamilton said.
Xavier will play 10 GCAC regular-season matches, including the first four on the road. The conference opener will be Sept. 21 at Edward Waters. The GCAC Tournament will be Nov. 8-10 at Little Rock, Ark., and the winner will earn the GCAC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship.
Xavier was 23-7 in 2011 — the Gold Nuggets' first winning season — and didn't lose a match en route to the program's first GCAC regular-season and tournament championships. Five starters return, including all-conference sophomores Taylor Reuther, Moira Kirk and Chinedu Echebelem. The other returning starters are junior Kerris Crier and sophomore Jeanay Butler.
The Gold Nuggets will report to Xavier this weekend and conduct their first practice Monday.
2012 Xavier University Women's Volleyball Schedule
Click here for detailed schedule information
Aug. 24: Lindsey Wilson, 12:30 p.m. EDT (1)
Aug. 24: at Lee (Tenn.), 7 p.m. EDT (1)
Aug. 25: Union (Ky.), 3 p.m. EDT (1)
Sept. 4: LOYOLA, 7 p.m.
Sept. 7: Pensacola Christian, 1 p.m. (2)
Sept. 7: Mississippi College, 5 p.m. (2)
Sept. 8: Rust, noon (2)
Sept. 8: at Belhaven, 4 p.m. (2)
Sept. 11: SPRING HILL, 7 p.m.
Sept. 18: MOBILE, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21: • at Edward Waters, 7 p.m. EDT
Sept. 24: • at SUNO, 7 p.m.
Sept. 27: • at Fisk, 7 p.m.
Sept. 29: • at Philander Smith, 1 p.m.
Oct. 5: • EDWARD WATERS, 6 p.m.
Oct. 8: • DILLARD, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19: Union (Tenn,), 2 p.m. (3)
Oct. 19: at Loyola, 6 p.m. (3)
Oct. 25: • TOUGALOO, 7 p.m.
Oct. 27: • TALLADEGA, 1 p.m.
Oct. 29: BELHAVEN, 7 p.m.
Oct. 30: at Mobile, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 1: • SUNO, 7 p.m.
Nov. 3: • at Dillard, 7 p.m.
Nov. 8-10: GCAC Tournament, Little Rock, Ark., TBA
Nov. 17: NAIA National Championship opening round at campus sites, TBA
Nov. 27-Dec. 1: NAIA National Championship final site at Sioux City, Iowa, TBA
Home matches (in bold and CAPITAL LETTERS) will be played at The Barn (capacity 1,300) or the Convocation Academic Center (capacity 4,500), Xavier University campus, New Orleans.• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match
TBA — To be announced
All times are Central except where noted
(1) — Lee Invitational at Cleveland, Tenn.
(2) — Belhaven Tournament at Jackson, Miss.
(3) — Hampton Inn Wolfpack Classic at The Den (Loyola University), New Orleans
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information DirectorVISIT: XULAATHLETICS
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