XU returns with more than 30 volleyball matches in 2010
July 23, 2010

     NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's revival of women's volleyball in 2010 includes a schedule of more than 30 regular-season matches.
     First-year Coach Al'lisa Hale announced the schedule Friday. This will be Xavier's third season of intercollegiate volleyball but the first since 2004.
     The Gold Nuggets will begin their regular season Aug. 28 when they play host to Alabama State and Belhaven at The Barn. Belhaven will be Xavier's opening opponent at 3 p.m., and the Nuggets will play Alabama State at 7 p.m. Sandwiched between those matches will be an Alabama State-Belhaven contest at 5:30 p.m.
     "We're going to work hard to get a good crowd in The Barn for the opening matches and get the volleyball team some momentum for rest of the season," Xavier Athletics Director Dennis Cousin said.
     Xavier will play six of its first seven regular-season matches at The Barn, including Gulf Coast Athletic Conference matches against SUNO on Sept. 7 and Tougaloo on Sept. 11.
     The Nuggets will compete in regular-season tournaments at Alabama State on Sept. 17-18, Birmingham-Southern on Sept. 24-25, Loyola on Oct. 1-2 and Faulkner on Oct. 8-9. Xavier's home match against longtime HBCU, GCAC and city rival Dillard will start at 6 p.m. on Oct. 23.
     Alabama State will be one of five NCAA Division I opponents on the schedule.
     "This is a well-rounded schedule, and it will be a good test for us," Hale said. "I tried to schedule a lot of non-conference matches against teams I'm familiar with. I'm excited about the schedule, and so are our players."
     Crosstown rival Loyola appears three times on the schedule, the most of any 2010 opponent. Xavier will play two matches apiece against GCAC opponents Dillard, SUNO and Tougaloo and non-conference opponents Alcorn State, Belhaven, Judson (Ala.), Mississippi Valley, Mobile and Spring Hill. Mobile, a former GCAC opponent of Xavier, qualified for the NAIA's national tournament each of the past three seasons. The Lady Rams will visit Xavier on Oct. 28.
     Dillard will be the site of the GCAC Tournament on Nov. 12-13. The NAIA National Championship will consist of opening-round matches at campus sites Nov. 20, followed by the finals Nov. 30-Dec. 4 at Sioux City, Iowa. Sioux City will be the finals site for the third consecutive season.

2010 Xavier Women's Volleyball Schedule
click here for a PDF version of the schedule
August
28 Saturday: BELHAVEN, 3 p.m.
28 Saturday: ALABAMA STATE, 7 p.m.
     (also Aug. 28 at The Barn: Alabama State vs. Belhaven, 5:30 p.m.)

September
1 Wednesday: FAULKNER STATE CC (exhibition), 6 p.m.
4 Saturday: at Judson (Ala.), 2 p.m.
7 Tuesday: • SUNO, 7 p.m.
11 Saturday: • TOUGALOO, 1 p.m.
11 Saturday: MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, 4 p.m.
     (also Sept. 11 at The Barn: Mississippi Valley vs. Tougaloo, 2:30 p.m.)
15 Wednesday: ALCORN STATE, 7 p.m.
17 Friday: at Alabama State Tournament (Montgomery, Ala.), TBA
18 Saturday: at Alabama State Tournament (Montgomery, Ala.), TBA
23 Thursday: at Mobile, 7:30 p.m.
24 Friday: Faulkner (BSC Fall Classic, Birmingham, Ala.), noon
24 Friday: at Birmingham-Southern (BSC Fall Classic, Birmingham, Ala.), 2:30 p.m.
25 Saturday: Loyola (BSC Fall Classic, Birmingham, Ala.), 12:30 p.m.
25 Saturday: Wallace State CC (BSC Fall Classic, Birmingham, Ala.) (exhibition), 4 p.m.
30 Thursday: • at Dillard, 7 p.m.

October
1 Friday: Spring Hill (Hampton Inn Wolfpack Classic, New Orleans), noon
2 Saturday: St. Thomas (Texas) (Hampton Inn Wolfpack Classic, New Orleans), 9 a.m.
2 Saturday: at Loyola (Hampton Inn Wolfpack Classic, New Orleans), 1 p.m.
6 Wednesday: SPRING HILL, 7 p.m.
8 Friday: Brenau (Faulkner Invitational, Montgomery, Ala.), 11:30 a.m.
8 Friday: Asbury (Faulkner Invitational, Montgomery, Ala.), 3:30 p.m.
9 Saturday: Martin Methodist (Faulkner Invitational, Montgomery, Ala.), 11 a.m.
9 Saturday: Southern Wesleyan (Faulkner Invitational, Montgomery, Ala.), 3 p.m.
12 Tuesday: • at SUNO, 7 p.m.
15 Friday: JUDSON (Ala.), 7 p.m.
16 Saturday: at Belhaven, 3 p.m.
16 Saturday: Millsaps (at Belhaven), 5 p.m.
19 Tuesday: at Mississippi Valley, 6 p.m.
20 Wednesday: at Alcorn State, 7 p.m.
22 Friday: • at Tougaloo, 3 p.m.
23 Saturday: • DILLARD, 6 p.m.
28 Thursday: MOBILE, 6 p.m.
31 Sunday: at Clark Atlanta, TBA
31 Sunday: Stillman (at Clark Atlanta), TBA

November
3 Wednesday: LOYOLA (Senior Night), 6 p.m.
12 Friday: Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at New Orleans (Dillard), TBA
13 Saturday: Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at New Orleans (Dillard), TBA
20 Saturday: NAIA National Championship opening round at campus sites, TBA
30 Tuesday: NAIA National Championship final site at Sioux City, Iowa, TBA (through December 4)

Home matches (in bold and CAPITAL LETTERS) are played at The Barn (capacity 1,300), Xavier University campus, New Orleans
• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match
TBA — to be announced
All times are Central, except where noted