University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Volleyball Announces 2007 Schedule
06.08.2007 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Four in season tournaments and 12 home matches highlight UNC Asheville's 2007 volleyball schedule announced on Friday by head coach Julie Torbett.
The Bulldogs have been the runner-up in the Big South Tournament each of the last two seasons and three times in the past four years. Torbett hopes this is the year Bulldogs claim the title.
"Our conference has had a dominate team for the past four years and we have been the next best team three times," said Torbett. "We are still young with seven sophomores but we have nine players back who played for the championship last season."
Asheville went 15-18 last year but finished 10-4 in Big South play after getting off to a 2-12 start to the season.
This season, the Bulldogs will once again face a tough early season schedule beginning the year at Florida State's Tournament against TCU, Florida State, and Florida Gulf Coast.
Asheville opens its home schedule hosting the UNC Asheville Volleyball Classic Aug. 31, and Sept. 1. The Dogs host Western Carolina in a Parkway Series match-up at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31. Kennesaw State and USC Upstate will also compete in the tournament.
The Dogs travel to Chattanooga, Tenn. and Montgomery, Ala. for their next two tournaments sandwiched around a home match with North Carolina Central on Sept. 11.
Asheville will travel to East Tennessee State (Sept. 19) and Presbyterian (Sept. 22) before hosting Jacksonville on Sept. 23.
"We will find out pretty early what kind of a team we will be," said Torbett. "TCU, Florida State, Missouri State, Chattanooga, and Tennessee Tech are all strong teams that we will have to play well to beat. I think we have a chance to win some of these tournaments and hopefully build momentum heading towards the conference season."
Big South Conference play begins Sept. 28, as the Bulldogs travel to Coastal Carolina. The home and home schedule will have High Point in Asheville on Oct. 5, Winthrop (Oct. 6), Charleston Southern (Oct. 26), Coastal (Oct. 27), Radford (Nov 2) and Liberty (Nov. 3).
Senior Day will be Nov. 10 as the Bulldogs host future conference member Presbyterian at 2 p.m.
The Big South Tournament will be held in Lynchburg, Va., this season from Nov. 14-17. The Bulldogs are 6-4 in the Big South tournament over the last four seasons, with three of those loses coming in the championship final.
"I think we are ready to take the next step," said Torbett. "We are continuing to build, we still have a young team, but the players worked hard in the off season and we have added quality players, so we are excited about the season starting."
