Ladyjack Volleyball Releases 2011 Schedule
5/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
May 19, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - A return to a Shelton Gym and a pair of pre-conference tournaments highlight the upcoming 2011 Ladyjack Volleyball schedule, which head coach Debbie Humphreys released on Wednesday.
After spending the last 12 years in the William R. Johnson Coliseum, the Ladyjacks will move back into Shelton Gym for the 2011 season, the original home for Ladyjack volleyball for the first 15 years of the program. SFA will rechristen Shelton Gym with 14 home matches slated for 2011, including a pair of tournaments in consecutive weekends in September after just having 10 home matches last season, eight of which were in conference play.
"The move back to Shelton Gym is definitely a positive for us," Humphreys said. "Shelton is a great volleyball venue where the crowd noise does make a difference. Also, since Shelton is our practice facility, it will also put us in our comfort zone for matches. Coaches and players alike are extremely excited about this move and we are looking forward to the updates that will take place in Shelton Gym over the next few years."
In addition to a slew of home matches, the Ladyjacks will also be road tested with nine straight matches away from Nacogdoches to open the season and 17 overall. SFA will open up the year on August 26 at the Georgia Southern Tournament, and will follow that with a tournament at Tennessee-Martin. Single non-conference matches with Louisiana-Monroe and North Texas following each tournament. "It is certainly nice to look at the 2011 schedule and see some matches in bold indicating that we are at home some," Humphreys said. "While the 2010 schedule had us on the road for five straight weekends, 2011 has us home for three of the first five weekends. The competition will be a challenging, but exactly what we want as we prepare for Southland Conference play." The challenging slate includes three teams who qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season, as well as Texas A&M, who will be the first opponent in Shelton Gym when SFA takes on the Aggies on September 9 in the Ladyjack Invitational. It will be the first time since 2001 that the Ladyjacks and Aggies have met on the volleyball court, and only the second time Texas A&M has ever visited Nacogdoches, not doing so since 1990.
SFA will host its second tournament of the year on September 16 and 17 with Sam Houston State, North Dakota and Rice come to town for the Chilly Fillmore Ladyjack Invitational. "Georgia Southern and Missouri State were each NCAA Tournament teams in 2010, while Jacksonville State, Northern Illinois and North Dakota also had successful campaigns last year," Humphreys said. "You add in another Missouri Valley team in Illinois State, two Conference USA opponents in Rice and UAB, as well as Big 12 opponent Texas A&M, our preseason schedule will certainly help prepare us for the start of SLC play."
The Ladyjacks will then open up conference play with two straight matches at home, September 22 against Northwestern State and two days later against two-time defending league champion Central Arkansas. SFA wraps up an eight-match homestand on the following afternoon with a 2:00 p.m. non-conference match with perennial Missouri Valley power Missouri State before going on the road for four straight matches.
Upon returning home on October 13, the Ladyjacks will continue league play against Texas State and UT-Arlington and Nicholls with the final non-conference match on October 19 against Houston Baptist sandwiched in as well. SFA will have four of its final six regular season contests of the year away from home with Senior Day unofficially scheduled for November 5 against UTSA in the home finale.
The Ladyjacks will be looking to end the season in Conway, Ark., where Central Arkansas will be hosting the Southland Conference Tournament for the first time on November 18-20.
-SFA-
