Fresno State Athletics
2008 Volleyball Schedule Released
6/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
June 18, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. - The 2008 Fresno State volleyball season kicks off with the 19th Fresno State Invitational Tournament on August 29th at the Save Mart Center. The tournament ran for 18 consecutive years before taking a three year hiatus and will make its return this season. Saint Mary's, UC Davis and Cal State Bakersfield are this years tournament participants.
Fresno State has won the tournament nine times and was the runner up to Oral Roberts in 2004. Saint Mary's will make its second appearance and placed fourth in their first trip to the tournament. UC Davis and CSUB are both making their first appearances in the Fresno State Invitational.
"I'm eager to host the Fresno State Invitational and battle it out with three strong California opponents in the Save Mart Center," said head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell. "With a new configuration for volleyball matches, our fans will be engaged in a much more intimate, exciting environment than they've seen in years previous. The tournament will be a debut for our new environment and a team similar in personnel, but different in energy and work ethic. Both are sure to make fans proud and entertained."
The Bulldogs will then play their annual exhibition game against cross-town NAIA powerhouse Fresno Pacific on September 3. Fresno Pacific won the NAIA title last season.
The only out-of-state tournament on the schedule for the Bulldogs is to the Midwest at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Phoenix compete in the Horizon League and are 0-1 all-time vs. Fresno State as the two played in the Fresno State Invitational in 1999 with a 3-0 Bulldog victory.
The Bulldogs will also take on Northern Arizona out of the Big Sky Conference and Drake University from the Missouri Valley Conference, in the two-day tournament at the Kress Events Center on Sept. 5-6.
It's then down highway 99 to Bakersfield for the final non-conference tournament as the `Dogs will once again take on CSUB on Sept. 12. Sept. 13 the Bulldogs take on the Wildcats from Arizona out of the Pac-10 and then Chicago State, a D-I Independent.
"It's a well-balanced slate with matches I certainly expect to win, and matches that I certainly hope to win," said Netherby-Sewell. "With competitors from the Pac-10 to those in the Midwest, we'll see where we've improved and what we're on the road to becoming."
The 2008 WAC schedule begins on the road for the first time in two years at New Mexico State on Sept. 18. The `Dogs road trip continues to Louisiana Tech and Utah State.
The Bulldogs open WAC play at the Save Mart Center on Sept. 27 vs. San Jose State, followed by Boise State, Idaho and Nevada.
Fresno State will close out the October schedule at Nevada, Hawai'i and San Jose State with a home match vs. Utah State in the mix.
November sees the `Dogs final three home matches vs. Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State and Hawai'i before wrapping up the regular season at Boise State and Idaho.
"It's easy to create a good schedule in California with high-ranking teams surrounding us. I think it's important to experience different competitors with different styles to be balanced and ready for post-season play," added Netherby-Sewell. "It will be good if we can get wins in those unfamiliar places to prove our level of physicality at Fresno State and within the Western Athletic Conference."
The 2008 WAC Tournament will be hosted by Hawai'i in Honolulu, Nov. 20-23.
"It's a wonderful place for a WAC tournament," said Netherby-Sewell. "I hope to fill the Save Mart in similar fashion one day!"
"Join the State - Fresno State" - Get ready for the 2008 Fresno State volleyball season by purchasing your volleyball Family Friends Flex Plan for only $89 on sale now. The plan includes four general admission tickets for each home match next year and all tickets are exchangeable for any home game. Stay tuned to www.gobulldogs.com for all the latest news on Bulldog sports.
