2010 NCCU Volleyball Schedule
DURHAM, N.C. – As North Carolina Central University soars into its final year of the Division I transition and makes its debut in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), the Eagle volleyball team will face its most competitive schedule to date as they face three teams that made the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Championships, including nationally-ranked Minnesota, announced head coach Georgette Crawford-Crooks on Monday.
“Our schedule is very competitive this year,” said Crawford-Crooks. “It is probably the most competitive it has ever been because we are playing Duke, who ranks among the top-75 in the country, as well as Minnesota, who finished the 2009 season ranked fourth in the nation. We are also diving into MEAC play a little bit more this season with Florida A&M, who won the 2009 MEAC title and made an appearance in postseason play.”
The 2010 slate will be another challenging one for the Eagles as they play a 33-match schedule with two Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents, nine MEAC opponents and will appear in five tournaments, including two which will be hosted at McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium.
NCCU will jump-start the 2010 season with its fourth annual Hilton RTP/NCCU Volleyball Tournament, which will take place Aug. 27-28 in McDougald-McLendon Gym. Charleston Southern, Delaware State, Elon, Gardner-Webb and Texas-El Paso will make up the field for this year’s tournament.
The Eagles will host UNC Greensboro, a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon), in a nightcap on Sept. 1 before heading down the road to Cameron Indoor Stadium to battle Minnesota, Duke and Delaware in the Duke Volleyball Invitational during the weekend of Sept. 10-11. Both Duke and Minnesota made appearances in the 2009 NCAA Championships with Minnesota falling in the round of eight.
Following its most competitive tournament in program history, the Eagles will take to the highway for a stretch of road games. NCCU will battle their second SoCon opponent in Davidson on Sept. 14 before arriving in Orangeburg, S.C., for the annual South Carolina State Spikefest, Sept. 17-18, where the Eagles will face South Carolina State, Mercer, Hampton and The Citadel.
NCCU will conclude its six-game road trip on Sept. 21 with a stop in Buies Creek, N.C., where they will face Campbell in an evening matchup. The Eagles will then return to the confines of home to host their annual NCCU Volleyball Tournament, which will take place Sept. 24-25 in McDougald-McLendon Gym.
Participating in the tournament are East Tennessee State, South Carolina State, Hampton and Maryland Eastern Shore. The Eagles will look to defend their home court and take the crown as they finished second in the tournament last season after falling to tournament champion Delaware State, 3-0, in the finale.
For the first time in program history, NCCU will battle ACC-member Wake Forest. The Eagles and the Demon Deacons will square off on Sept. 28 for a nightcap in Winston-Salem, N.C. It will mark NCCU’s second and final ACC opponent of the season.
Before diving into MEAC action, the Eagles will welcome the month of October with their fourth tournament of the season as they stop in Princess Anne, Md., for the UMES Hawk Invitational, hosted by Maryland Eastern Shore. NCCU will face the tournament host as well as MEAC foes Coppin State and Hampton, Oct. 1-2.
The Eagles will hit the road for their next three games as they kick-off conference play with a visit to rival North Carolina A&T on Oct. 6, Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 8 and Florida A&M on Oct. 10. They will make a brief return to Durham on Oct. 12 to battle the Seahawks of UNC Wilmington before hitting the road once more.
NCCU will travel down I-85 to Spartanburg, S.C., on Oct. 20 to face the Spartans of USC Upstate before returning to the confines of home. The Eagles will host Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 22 before traveling to Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 24 for a battle with Norfolk State in a Sunday afternoon showdown.
For the next three games, the Eagles will enjoy the home court as they conclude their home schedule with three MEAC opponents in Florida A&M, North Carolina A&T and Norfolk State. The Eagles will battle the Rattlers on Oct. 29, followed by the Aggies on Nov. 5 and the Spartans on Nov. 7, which will be designated as Senior Night, where the Eagles will honor their 2010 senior class.
The Eagles will travel to Dover, Del., on Nov. 12 to face-off with Delaware State before concluding their 2010 slate in Seattle, Wash., for the Independent Tournament. The Independent Tournament will take place Nov. 20-21 and is hosted by Seattle University. It will be the Eagles’ final tournament appearance of the season.
“Our schedule is more competitive, but I am hoping that our players will be able to rise to the occasion and do well,” said Crawford-Crooks. “Playing this schedule will help us so that when we are able to compete for championships next year, we will be able to play at a very high level and we will be well prepared.”
For more information on Eagles volleyball, visit the official website of NCCU Athletics at www.NCCUEaglePride.com.
