| June 19, 2006 UTSA announces 2006 volleyball schedule ?2006 schedule SAN ANTONIO – UTSA head volleyball coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff announced the Roadrunners’ 2006 volleyball schedule on Monday afternoon. Highlighted by four early-season tournaments, four other non-conference matchups and a full slate of Southland Conference action, the ledger also features the 2006 SLC Tournament, which will be played from Nov. 16-18 at the Convocation Center. It marks the third time UTSA has hosted the league’s postseason tournament (1992 and 2003 are the others).
“We have set up this year’s schedule so that we play the top regional teams with the hope of having a higher ranking entering conference play,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “Our goal is then to win the conference championship and improve our draw for the NCAA Tournament.”
The Roadrunners will be tested early in the campaign, with 12 of their first 13 matches being played on the road. UTSA opens the season with tilts against Syracuse, defending Missouri Valley Champion Wichita State, Louisiana Tech and Eastern Washington in the Wichita State Tournament (Aug. 25-26).
After opening the home schedule on Aug. 29 against SMU, the Roadrunners once again hit the road, playing Illinois State, Rice and DePaul at the Rice Invitational (Sept. 1-2). The following weekend, UTSA travels to the East Coast for matches against San Jose State, Brown and New Hampshire in the New Hampshire Tournament (Sept. 8-9). Next up is the Conference USA Southland Challenge against in-state rivals Houston and Texas-El Paso on Sept. 14-15. UTSA then begins the 16-match Southland Conference slate the following week when it hosts defending regular season champion Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 21.
The Roadrunners face 2006 SLC Tournament Champion and IH-35 rival Texas State on Oct. 5 in San Marcos and the Bobcats come to the Convocation Center for a rematch on Nov. 9, the second-to-last day of the regular season. Last year, the fifth-largest crowd in Convocation Center history saw the Roadrunners sweep Texas State, 3-0.
The Roadrunners close out the non-conference portion of their schedule with matches against Utah Valley State (Sept. 29) and UT-Pan American (Oct. 10).
Following its longest SLC road trip of the year (four matches from Oct. 20-28), UTSA will not leave the friendly confines of the Convocation Center during the month of November, a stretch that includes four matches and the league’s postseason tournament.
Beginning this fall, the Southland Conference will be divided into two divisions, with intra-divisional opponents playing each other twice and non-divisional foes once. Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UT-Arlington, UTSA and Texas State will make up the West Division, while Central Arkansas, Lamar, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana will comprise the East. |
