Marshall University Athletics
Volleyball Releases Challenging Schedule For 2009
5/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall University head coach Mitch Jacobs recently announced the 2009 volleyball schedule, a slate that features a home contest with in-state rival West Virginia University on Sept. 23.
"We are going to have our most balanced team yet," Jacobs stated of his squad. "We will have a very balanced group of talent on the floor this season."
The Thundering Herd will begin its 2009 campaign with three top-notch tournaments before entering into its Conference USA schedule.
Marshall opens its season at the Hofstra University tournament and will play Binghamton, Rhode Island and Hofstra.
"Binghampton and Hofstra were both at the top of their conference a year ago," Jacobs said. "It should be a good opening challenge for us."
The Herd will then host Mid-American Conference perennial powerhouse Miami (Ohio) in its home opener at the Cam Henderson Center before hitting the road for a seven day trip to North Carolina.
"We are going to spend a week as a team in North Carolina starting at High Point who was one of the top teams in its conference last season," Jacobs added.
The High Point tournament features contests with UNC-Charlotte, High Point, and Davidson. The Herd will then take on North Carolina A&T and UNC-Greensboro (second in Big South in 2008) in Greensboro before culminating its trip with the North Carolina Tournament in Chapel Hill, taking on three perennially ranked opponents - Colorado State, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Marshall will then face a strong Morehead State team that beat the Herd at the Henderson Center last season.
The Herd opens its C-USA slate at home on Sept. 19, hosting East Carolina, before hosting WVU on Sept. 23 at 7:00 p.m. in its last non-conference battle.
"It is going to be a very exciting night when WVU comes to Huntington" Jacobs said. "The Herd will be going for its eighth straight golden ball, and this year's match will be the first time since 2004 that the Mountaineers will travel to the Henderson Center."
Following its bout with WVU, Marshall will host Southern Miss and UCF in league action before spending back-to-back weekends on the road at Tulsa and SMU, and UAB and Memphis.
"This is a schedule with a lot to prove," Jacobs explained. "There are quite a few teams returning their foundation."
The Herd then welcomes Tulane and UTEP to Huntington, before traveling south to Southern Miss and UCF and out west to face Houston and Rice on consecutive weekends.
Marshall will close out its home slate when it hosts UAB and Memphis, and finishes its regular-season campaign at East Carolina.
The C-USA Championships will take place Nov. 19-22 and will be hosted by Rice University.
