Fall volleyball schedule finalized

The Montana volleyball team will open its 2016 season in Dallas, Texas, at a tournament hosted by SMU, a team that won 27 matches last fall and advanced to the NCAA tournament. And that's just the start.

After hosting Gonzaga the second weekend of the season, the Grizzlies will play tournaments at Iowa State and Morehead State before opening Big Sky Conference play on Sept. 22 at home against Eastern Washington.

"I'm excited about the way our nonconference schedule came out," says second-year coach Brian Doyon, whose roster will have just five returning players from last season. Seven true freshmen will make up a majority of the fall roster.

"The schedule has some very challenging matches that are going to require our young group to step up and play at a high level. We've also scheduled some teams that will give us a chance to get some wins if we come out and play tough."

In addition to the Mustangs, SMU's tournament will feature Texas-San Antonio, a 24-win team last season, and Arkansas-Little Rock.

"We'll have some really good early-season tests down there," said Doyon. "They are all successful programs, but they'll be younger this season. It will be a challenge for us against teams that are used to having a lot of success."

Montana will make its home debut against Gonzaga on Saturday, Sept. 3. The start time of the match will be determined by that day's season-opening football game against Saint Francis at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The volleyball match will either be played in the early afternoon or evening.

"We're excited about that match and getting to play Gonzaga at home before the start of our conference schedule," said Doyon. "We played Gonzaga this spring and had a great match, so hopefully fans will come out and fill the gym."

Montana will be on the road the second and third weekends of September, with tournaments at Ames, Iowa, and Morehead, Ky.

The Cyclones were a 19-win, NCAA-tournament team last season, and North Dakota State also won 19 matches. Iowa State's tournament also includes Iowa of the Big Ten.

At their final road tournament, the Grizzlies will face Morehead State, Kent State and Coppin State. Kent State is coming off a 20-win season.

"Each one of the teams we'll face in our pre-conference schedule has a little bit different makeup, and that should set us up for later when we get to our league matches," Doyon says.

The team's 16-match Big Sky schedule will begin at home against Eastern Washington and Idaho on Sept. 22 and 24. The Grizzlies will get Idaho State and Weber State at home in early October, and later in the season have a four-match home stand that ends with Montana State on Saturday, Nov. 5.

The Big Sky Conference tournament, should Montana be one of the eight league teams to advance to the postseason, will be held at the home of the regular-season champion Nov. 17-19.

"With the young team we have coming in, I'm not looking at the Big Sky tournament as something we have to reach for the season to be considered a success," said Doyon.

"Our goal is to get the team set up and lay the foundation, get everyone on the same page and bonding, and have some success that we can build on."

University of Montana Athletics

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