Utah State Volleyball Announces 2011 Schedule

Utah State's [University] head volleyball coach Grayson DuBose announced Tuesday [May 3] its 2011 schedule as the Aggies will play a total of 28 matches during the regular season, including four against in-state opponents and four more against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago.

Of those four match-ups against in-state teams, one will be at home as the Aggies host Brigham Young Tuesday, Sept. 13. NCAA Tournament teams on USU's upcoming schedule include road matches at Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton, along with a home and home series against Western Athletic Conference power Hawai'i. In all, Utah State will play 11 matches at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, a venue where it has gone 88-41 (.682) over the last 12 seasons.

"We are looking forward to a challenging schedule," said DuBose. "We are playing teams from the Big West Conference, the PAC 12 and the Big East, as well as the West Coast Conference, and this schedule will prepare us for the teams in our league that have always been tough competitors. We are fortunate again to be hosting a tournament and I would like to thank Gossner's and Locker 42 for helping us run this wonderful event."

Utah State will begin its 2011 season in a tournament hosted by Southern Utah during the last weekend of August and play Pacific, Drake and host SUU. USU will then host its second annual Utah State Invitational, sponsored by Gossner Foods, Sept. 1-3 against Idaho State, Syracuse and future WAC member Texas State.

Utah State will then play its second in-state match of the season at Weber State on Sept. 6 before playing in its third and final preseason tournament of the year at Long Beach State as it will face Oregon State, LBSU and SMU Sept. 9-10.

Following its home date against Brigham Young Sept. 13, Utah State will return to California for a pair of non-conference matches against UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton Sept. 16 and 17, respectively.

Utah State will begin WAC play at home against San Jose State and Hawai'i Sept. 22 and 24, followed by home matches against Fresno State and Nevada Oct. 13 and 15. USU will conclude the month of October with home dates against New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech Oct. 27 and 29 and host Idaho Nov. 5 in its final home match of the year.

After finishing the regular season at Nevada and Fresno State Nov. 10 and 12, Utah State will look to defend its 2010 WAC Tournament Championship as league members once again travel to Las Vegas to compete in the 2011 WAC Tournament held at the Orleans Arena Nov. 21-23. The first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament will be the first weekend in December.

Utah State returns three starters and six letterwinners from last year's team that went 24-9 overall and finished in third-place in the WAC with a 9-7 league record. USU then defeated Nevada (3-1), New Mexico State (3-2) and No. 3 Hawai'i (3-0) to win its first-ever WAC Tournament Championship and advance to its fourth NCAA Tournament in school history.

Among those returning for Utah State is senior outside hitter Liz McArthur who was named an honorable mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as a junior after earning first-team all-WAC honors along with being named the Most Valuable Player of the 2010 WAC Tournament. Other starters returning for USU include junior opposite side hitter Shay Sorensen, who was named to the WAC's all-tournament team in 2010, and junior outside hitter Josselyn White.

2011 UTAH STATE VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

*Denotes Western Athletic Conference Match.

Home matches in BOLD CAPS.

All times are Mountain time.

All times and dates are tentative and subject to change.

Additional Aggie sports news is available at the Athletics website.