April 2, 2007
DALLAS (SMU) - Head coach Lisa Seifert and the SMU volleyball team are announcing the 2007 volleyball schedule. The Mustang's schedule contains four tournaments and 28 dual matches overall which will be highlighted by the two tournaments and nine home matches SMU will host over the course of the season.
"We have improved our preseason schedule to help with our RPI and prepare us for conference," said Seifert. "We feel like this will be a competitive schedule."
The Mustangs will begin at home with the SMU Invite on Aug., 24-25. Along with the Mustangs, the Invite will feature McNeese St., Western Carolina and Eastern Illinois. SMU will take to the road for an Invitational at Texas Tech University, Aug. 31-Sep. 1. While in Lubbock, the Mustangs will face Lamar, Texas Tech and Villanova.
Before returning home, the Mustangs will head to Nacogdoches to take on SFA on Sep. 4 and then will return home to host their second Invite. The SMU Radisson Invite will take place Sep. 7-8 and will host Ole Miss, Baylor, Sam Houston and Prairie View A&M. On Sep. 11, the Mustangs will host UTSA.
SMU will head north for their final invitational of the season and final non-conference match-up. Sep. 14-15, the Mustangs will compete in the New Hampshire Invite at Durham, N.H. The invite will host SMU, Syracuse, Holy Cross and New Hampshire.
The Mustangs will then return home to open Conference-USA play against Marshall on Sep. 21 and then they will hit the road for a three-match road trip where they will face ECU on Sep. 23, UTEP on Sep. 28 and Tulane on Sep. 30.
SMU will host Rice on Oct. 5 and Houston on Oct. 7 and will have three more matches on the road in Oct. as they travel to Southern Miss on Oct. 12, UCF on Oct. 14 and 2006 C-USA Champion, Tulsa on Oct. 19.
They will have a quick turn around as they return to Dallas to host Tulsa on Oct. 21. The match against Tulsa will be the start of a five match home-stand for SMU. On Oct. 26 SMU will host Tulane and then will conclude Oct. with a match against UTEP on Oct. 28. SMU will open Nov. with a dual against Memphis on Nov. 2 followed by UAB on Nov. 4.
The Mustangs will embark on their final road trip of the season before the C-USA Championships as they head to Houston to take on Houston on Nov. 9 and Rice Nov. 10.
This season the C-USA Championship will be hosted by Marshall in Huntington, W.V., Nov. 15-18.
The Mustangs are returning all 11 players from last season as last year's senior, Jennette Evanco missed most of the season due to injury. In addition to their full returning roster, the Mustangs will add freshman transfer Carly Bergquist. SMU will look to their veteran dual threat of outside hitters, Rachel Giubilato and Caitlin Rainbird, coupled with the middle attackers, Natalie Peters and Kendra Kahanek. The offense will be guided by Madison Hill and Stefanie Kons who both saw playing time last season. Candice Davis and Bergquist will provide strength at the libero position but may also see time as outside hitters. Kara Cornelius and Adrienne Zielasko will add depth to the middle blockers and Dominique Ouellette and Jenny Reyes both provide points from the service line.
