Houston To Host 15 Home Matches In 2017 Season

University of Houston Volleyball Head Coach Kaddie Platt announced the release of the 2017 schedule on Thursday morning. The 31-match slate is highlighted by the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup and 15 contests inside the Athletics/Alumni Center.

“My staff and I are extremely excited about our 2017 schedule,” Platt said. “With two road tournaments to start the season and some high-caliber competition in non-conference play, we believe we should set up well heading into conference.”

NOTES ON THE SCHEDULE
1 — Houston will face Wichita State for the first time as a conference opponent
2 — The Cougars will open the season with two tournaments on the road
3 — Houston will play three teams who advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2016
3 — The Cougars will face three opponents for the first time
6 — The 2017 season marks the sixth for Head Coach Kaddie Platt at Houston
6 — The Cougars will play six teams that recorded 20-win seasons in 2016
7 — Houston hosts the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup for seventh straight season
15 — The Cougars will play 15 total matches inside the Athletics/Alumni Center
23 — The 2017 season marks the 23rd overall season for Kaddie Platt as a head coach
31 — The Cougars will play 31 regular-season matches

The Cougars will open the season with back-to-back road tournaments. Houston kicks off the 2017 season with the UTA Invitational across Aug. 25-26, facing the host Mavericks and Louisiana participants McNeese and Southern.

From Arlington, the Cougars, along with Central Michigan and Penn, will visit George Mason for the George Mason Invitational, taking place Sept. 2-3.

The squad will close tournament play and open their home slate with the eighth annual Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup, welcoming McNeese, Mississippi State and Stetson to Houston over Sept. 8-9. Following the final match on Sept. 9, the Cougars will host a free clinic for children eighth grade and under.

“Flo Hyman’s name is synonymous not just with Houston Volleyball but also with the highest level of volleyball in the world,” Platt said. “She is a pioneer for the sport, and to be able to continue to host a tournament in her namesake, is an absolute honor.”

Houston will host Prairie View A&M (Sept. 13) and visit LSU (Sept. 16) to close out non-conference play.

“The American Athletic Conference will once again be a showdown of some great volleyball competition,” Platt said. “We have much to prove, and the team’s focus and work has been paying off in the off-season. We are excited about getting out to compete in 2017.”

The Cougars will open American Athletic Conference action on Sunday, Oct. 1, with a home match against Temple. Other league home matches include Memphis (Oct. 6), Wichita State (Oct, 8), UCF (Oct. 20), USF (Oct. 22), SMU (Nov. 3), Tulsa (Nov. 5), East Carolina (Nov. 17), Cincinnati (Nov. 19) and Tulane (Nov. 22).

Road matches in The American are at Cincinnati (Oct. 13), East Carolina (Oct. 15), Temple (Oct. 27), UConn (Oct. 29), USF (Nov. 10), UCF (Nov. 12) and Tulane (Nov. 24).

SHASTA PASS
The Houston Athletics Ticket Office is once again proud to offer the Shasta Pass for the 2017-18 athletic season. For just $80, Cougar fans can purchase one Shasta Pass, which allows season-long general admission entrance to all Houston Volleyball, Soccer, Women’s Basketball and Softball home games.

The Shasta Pass offers Houston fans a substantial saving as single-game tickets start at $5 for all four sports. To purchase a Shasta Pass, call 713-GO-COOGS.

STAY CONNECTED
Follow Houston Volleyball on Twitter @UHCougarVB and “Like” /HoustonCougarVolleyball on Facebook. Houston Volleyball is now on Instagram as well at UHCougarVB.

JOIN POINT HOUSTON CLUB
Fans can help support the Houston Volleyball program by joining the Point HOUSTON Club. To find out more information about the Point HOUSTON Club, visit UHCougars.com or call Cougar Pride at (713) 743-GOUH.

Press Release courtesy of Houston Athletics.