Challenging Schedule Awaits Anteaters in 2015
October 06, 2014 | Men's Volleyball
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IRVINE, Calif. -- UC Irvine will play six important non-conference matches along with the usual grueling Mountain Pacific Sports Federation schedule in 2015.
"We expect all of our non-conference matches to challenge us. We have a very busy January, and all of these early matches could have a significant impact on the privilege of competing in the NCAA Tournament," head coach David Kniffin said. "But to quote one of our alums, 'the path of least resistance is not the Irvine way to greatness.'
When January rolls around, no one should be surprised by our level of play. I want to come out of the gates on fire. I expect greatness from this squad. I am looking forward to this test," Kniffin added.
UCI opens the season against Lewis on Jan. 5, before traveling to the Outrigger Hotel Tournament Jan. 8-10. The Anteaters will battle Penn State, Ohio State and host Hawaii. It is the first time UCI will be making an appearance in this pre-season tournament.
"In the world of NCAA volleyball, The Outrigger is one of the most iconic and revered tournaments so it was a huge honor to receive Coach Wade's invitation. Beyond the obvious competitive opportunities, we will be sure to thank the Hawaii volleyball community for their tireless support and passion for our game," Kniffin ended.
After the trip to Hawaii, UCI will entertain George Mason from the EIVA on Jan. 13 before starting MPSF play at Black & Blue rival Long Beach State on Jan. 17.
UCI will then play six matches in 11 days, beginning with Cal Baptist at home on Jan. 20 then on the road on Jan. 24. In between, the Anteaters will host USC (Jan. 23).
Four home matches begin with another non-conference opponent, Princeton (Jan. 26), before battling Hawaii on Jan. 28 and 30.
After traveling to UC San Diego (Feb. 7) and CSUN (Feb.11), UCI will face Stanford (Feb.13), Pepperdine (14), UCLA (Feb. 27) and UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 28) at the Bren.
UCI will only host one match in the month of March, entertaining Ball State in a non-conference contest on Mar. 6. The rest of the month includes road trips to USC (Mar. 3), Stanford (Mar. 12), Pepperdine (Mar 14) and BYU (Mar. 27 & 28). With the loss of the Pacific program, the MPSF returns to a doubleheader schedule, where the Anteaters play at BYU for a pair of matches one year and then the Cougars will travel to UCI the following year.
Home contests against CSUN (Apr. 1) and Long Beach State (Apr. 3) proceed road trips to UC Santa Barbara (Apr. 8) and UCLA (Apr. 10). The Anteaters will close out the regular season hosting UC San Diego on Apr. 18.
The MPSF Tournament runs from April 25 through May 1, while the NCAA Championship is May 7 and 9 at Stanford.
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