Utah State Volleyball Announces 2007 Schedule

Utah State’s head volleyball coach Grayson DuBose announced Tuesday the upcoming 2007 schedule as the Aggies will play a total of 29 matches during the regular season, including seven against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago.

Of those seven match-ups against tournament teams, three will be at home as the Aggies host New Mexico State on Oct. 4, defending Western Athletic Conference champion Hawai’i on Oct. 15, and in-state rival Utah on Oct. 30. In all, Utah State will play 10 matches at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, a venue where it has gone 60-26 (.698) over the last eight seasons.

“I am looking forward to our fall schedule,” said DuBose. “We have really upgraded the level of competition during the preseason which will help prepare us for conference play.”

Utah State will begin the 2007 schedule by playing 13 of its first 15 matches away from home, including its season opener at Arizona on Aug. 24. USU will also play Saint Mary’s and Eastern Washington that weekend in tournament play. The Aggies will then play Montana State, Texas A&M and Washington State the following weekend at a tournament hosted by MSU, before participating in its final preseason tournament the following weekend in Berkeley, Calif., against California, Minnesota and Eastern Kentucky.

Utah State will open its home season on Sept. 13 and Sept. 15 as it begins WAC play against Boise State and San Jose State. After concluding the month of September with four conference matches on the road, Utah State will remain home for most of October as it plays seven of its 10 matches during the month in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. USU will then conclude its regular season by playing three of its final four matches on the road, with its home finale coming against Nevada on Nov. 8.

The 2007 WAC Tournament will be held in Las Cruces, N.M., this year on Nov. 15-17, while the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament will be Nov. 29 through Dec. 2.

Utah State returns five starters and seven letterwinners from last year’s team that went 13-19 overall and finished in a tie for sixth-place in the WAC with a 6-10 league record. Among those returning for USU is senior opposite side hitter Amanda Nielson who earned second-team all-WAC honors a year ago, while sophomore middle blocker Melissa Larson was named to the league’s all-freshman team.

-USU-

2007 UTAH STATE VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULEDate Opponent TimeAug. 24-25 at Arizona TournamentAug. 24 at Arizona 11 a.m.Aug. 24 vs. Saint Mary’s 6 p.m.Aug. 25 vs. Eastern Washington 5 p.m.

Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at Montana State TournamentAug. 31 vs. Texas A&M 4:30 p.m.Sept. 1 at Montana State NoonSept. 1 vs. Washington State 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 7-8 at California TournamentSept. 7 at California 8 p.m.Sept. 8 vs. Minnesota 1 p.m.Sept. 8 vs. Eastern Kentucky 5:40 p.m.

Sept. 13 BOISE STATE* 7 p.m.Sept. 15 SAN JOSE STATE* 7 p.m.Sept. 20 at Louisiana Tech* 6 p.m.Sept. 22 at New Mexico State* 7 p.m.Sept. 27 at San Jose State* 8 p.m.Sept. 29 at Fresno State* 2 p.m.Oct. 4 NEW MEXICO STATE* 7 p.m.Oct. 6 LOUISIANA TECH* 7 p.m.Oct. 13 at Nevada* 8 p.m.Oct. 15 HAWAI’I* 7 p.m.Oct. 18 IDAHO* 7 p.m.Oct. 20 at Boise State* 7 p.m.Oct. 23 at Weber State 7 p.m.Oct. 25 UTAH VALLEY STATE 7 p.m.Oct. 27 FRESNO STATE* 7 p.m.Oct. 30 UTAH 6 p.m.Nov. 1 at Utah Valley State 7 p.m.Nov. 5 at Idaho* 8 p.m.Nov. 8 NEVADA* 7 p.m.Nov. 11 at Hawai’i* 11 p.m.Nov. 15-17 at WAC Tournament (Las Cruces, N.M.)