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Challenging Non-Conference Slate, 11 Home Matches Highlight 2013 Volleyball Schedule
by YSU
Friday, Jun 14, 2013 10:29 am
Challenging Non-Conference Slate, 11 Home Matches Highlight 2013 Volleyball Schedule
The Youngstown State volleyball team will play 11 home matches, battle five teams from the Mid-American Conference and take on two BCS conference schools as part of a challenging and exciting 2013 schedule released by Penguins head coach Mark Hardaway.

The Penguins will host Saint Francis (Pa.), Tulane and Toledo at the YSU Invitational on Sept. 6-7, and the home schedule also features three doubleheaders with the YSU football team. The non-conference portion of the slate also features tournaments in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and St. Louis, and Youngstown State will take on Iowa and Arizona State in the first three weeks of the season. There are also non-conference matches against teams from the Missouri Valley Conference, the Atlantic 10 and Conference USA. The Horizon League opener for YSU will be against Cleveland State at Beeghly Center on Sept. 27, and the Horizon League Tournament will begin on Nov. 22.

"Our 2013 schedule is definitely a step up from last season," Hardaway said. "With seven seniors and 12 returning letterwinners on the roster, we want to challenge the team more in the non-conference part of our schedule to better prepare them for what we expect will be a very competitive year in the Horizon League."

The Penguins will open 2013 at the Chanticleer Invitational against host Coastal Carolina, Iowa and Wofford on Aug. 30-31. They'll return home for the YSU Invitational the following weekend before starting a busy stretch where they'll play five matches in a six-day span that Hardaway called the toughest test of the non-conference slate. Youngstown State will play Arizona State at the University of Illinois on Sept. 12, and it will begin play at the Billiken Classic at Saint Louis on Sept. 13. In a homecoming for St. Louis native Missy Hundelt, the Penguins will play Bradley, the host Billikens and Miami (Ohio).

"We are very excited to host a tournament this fall," Hardaway said. "It should be a very competitive tournament with all four teams having very similar RPI's last season. With our football team playing Morehead State at home on Saturday, it should be a great weekend to be in town."

The Penguins will play at Bowling Green, where Hardaway was an assistant for 10 seasons, on Sept. 17 before playing Akron and Saint Francis (Pa.) in a doubleheader on Sept. 21 in Loretto, Pa. YSU's final matched prior to the start of league play will be at Robert Morris on Sept. 24.

Youngstown State will open Horizon League play at home for the first time since 2009 as it welcomes Cleveland State to Beeghly Center on Friday, Sept. 27. The Penguins will then step back outside of conference play to host Kent State on Oct. 1 in the final non-conference match of the season. YSU will then play at new Horizon League member Oakland on Oct. 4 and at Wright State on Oct. 5. The Penguins will return home to play Valparaiso on Oct. 11, and they'll host UIC on Oct. 12 as part of another doubleheader with the YSU football team. The Penguins will play at Green Bay and Milwaukee the following weekend, and they'll end October at Cleveland State on Oct. 25.

"I expect the conference to be very competitive in the fall, and the addition of Oakland makes the league stronger," Hardaway said. "So many teams are returning the majority of their starters, which will make it very difficult to qualify for the conference tournament. We will have to be prepared to fight every night during conference play."

YSU will start the final stretch of the regular season with home matches against Wright State and Oakland on Nov. 1-2. The Penguins' final two road matches will be at UIC and Valparaiso the following weekend, and Youngstown State will finish the regular season at home against Milwaukee and Green Bay on Nov. 15-16. YSU's Senior Day will be on Nov. 16 against the Phoenix, and that match will follow the YSU football team's game against North Dakota State.

The Penguins had their best season in 13 years in 2012, improving its win total by 10 and its RPI by 99 spots. Hundelt will be among the top returners in the Horizon League, and YSU also returns the conference's top blocker in Jenna Cavanaugh.

2013 Youngstown State Volleyball Schedule


Date Opponent Notes/Media Result Time/Status Links
August  
Fri 30 at Coastal Carolina Chanticleer Invitational   6:00 PM  
Sat 31 vs. Iowa Chanticleer Invitational   1:30 PM  
Sat 31 vs. Wofford Chanticleer Invitational   4:30 PM  
September  
Fri 6 Saint Francis (Pa.) YSU Invitational   11:00 AM  
Fri 6 Tulane YSU Invitational   7:00 PM  
Sat 7 Toledo YSU Invitational   1:00 PM  
Thu 12 vs. Arizona St.     8:00 PM  
Fri 13 at Bradley Billiken Classic   5:30 PM  
Sat 14 at Saint Louis Billiken Classic   1:00 PM  
Sat 14 at Miami (Ohio) Billiken Classic   5:30 PM  
Tue 17 at Bowling Green     7:00 PM Live stats
Sat 21 vs. Akron St. Francis (Pa.) Invitational   1:30 PM  
Sat 21 at Saint Francis (Pa.) St. Francis (Pa.) Invitational   4:00 PM  
Tue 24 at Robert Morris     7:00 PM  
Fri 27 Cleveland State *     7:00 PM  
October  
Tue 1 Kent State     7:00 PM  
Fri 4 at Oakland *     5:00 PM  
Sat 5 at Wright State *     4:00 PM  
Fri 11 Valparaiso *     7:00 PM  
Sat 12 UIC *     2:00 PM  
Fri 18 at Green Bay *     8:00 PM  
Sat 19 at Milwaukee *     5:00 PM  
Fri 25 at Cleveland State *     7:00 PM  
November  
Fri 1 Wright State *     7:00 PM  
Sat 2 Oakland *     4:00 PM  
Fri 8 at UIC *     8:00 PM  
Sat 9 at Valparaiso *     5:00 PM  
Fri 15 Milwaukee *     7:00 PM  
Sat 16 Green Bay *     6:00 PM  
Fri 22 at TBD Horizon League Tournament   TBA  
Sat 23 at TBD Horizon League Tournament   TBA  
Sun 24 at TBD Horizon League Tournament   TBA  
Home games in bold.
* Horizon League Game
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