For the first time in the Jim Barnes era, Tulane volleyball will host a pair of preseason tournaments in the month of September, while ten additional home tilts highlight the remainder of the 2017 schedule, head coach Jim Barnes announced today. Barnes’ second Tulane team will also face off against a pair of teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2016.
“I’m happy to announce that our 2017 schedule is complete,” second-year head Barnes said. “Our team will be a young squad losing five seniors from our 2016 roster, but this schedule will challenge this young group and help us improve each and every week. Our team will have five talented freshmen who have the ability to contribute early, and we look forward to building on our 2016 season and competing for an American Athletic Conference Championship.”
Tulane will open up the 2017 season with four preseason tournaments before the start of conference play at the end of September.
“We start a new I-10 series to kick off the season, followed by a challenging tournament at SEC foe Mississippi State,” Barnes said. “We are especially excited about hosting two tournaments for the first time.”
August 25 marks the start of the 2017 schedule, with the Green Wave heading to San Antonio for the I-10 Challenge to face Incarnate Word, UTEP and UL-Lafayette. On Labor Day weekend, Tulane will head the opposite direction for the Mississippi State Tournament and matches against Stephen F. Austin, Grambling State and the hosting Bulldogs.
The remainder of the preseason non-conference schedule will be played at home, beginning with the annual Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Volleyball Classic on Friday and Saturday Sept. 8-9. This year, Tulane will host Oklahoma, Southern Miss and Nicholls, followed by the Tulane Invitational on September 15-16, featuring North Florida, Northwestern and Alabama State.
The Green Wave then hit the road for their first American Athletic Conference series of the season, opening up at 2016 NCAA Tournament participant SMU on Friday, Sept. 22 before heading to Tulsa on Sunday. Tulane wraps up the month of September at home hosting Temple, who split the American title last year with the Mustangs.
“The American will be very strong this year and will look to improve on its two NCAA bids from 2016,” Barnes said. “I don’t know of any other conference that is improving as fast as this one.”
Tulane alternates home and road conference weekends throughout the months of October and November, making a trip to Houston on Oct. 4 before hosting Memphis that Sunday.
The Green Wave’s next road trip will prove a challenging one, as Tulane will face NCAA Tournament team Cincinnati for the first time this season on the road Oct. 15.
Tulane plays host to USF and UCF on Oct. 20 and 22, respectively, before wrapping up October on the road at UConn and Temple.
In the month of November, Tulane will rematch with all conference opponents, wrapping up the home season on Wednesday, Nov. 22 in a Senior Day celebration and match against Houston. The 2017 season concludes on Friday, Nov. 24 with a 1:00 p.m. contest at Memphis.
December will hold the NCAA Tournament as the Green Wave look to make their first appearance in the postseason since 2009.
Tulane volleyball became the most improved program in the nation last season, with first-year head coach Jim Barnes leading the Wave to an 18-14 overall record and moving up over 150 spots in RPI from 247 to 91. The Green Wave’s fifth-place finish in the American was the team’s highest since joining the league prior to the 2014 season.
Season ticket packages for the 2017 season will go on sale soon. Tickets may be purchased by clicking here or by calling the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office at (504) 861-WAVE (9283). Fans can also visit the ticket office on the bottom level of the James W. Wilson Jr. Center Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Fans can keep up with the latest in Tulane volleyball action by following the team on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
News courtesy of Tulane Athletics.
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