Volleyball Dates Set for 2017 Schedule
(Photo Courtesy of Mark Anthony)
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas volleyball team released its 2017 schedule. Kelli Trautmann begins her first year at the helm for a Crusaders team that will be away from the Maher Center often. In 2016, Dallas totaled five matches, including a trio from a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Divisional Series, at the home confines. This fall, UD duplicates that same amount on the ledger that take place in front of the home crowd. three of them will be over two days in the UD Tournament on September 15-16.
The other two will be non-conference single matchups in October. The Crusaders will not be hosting any conference matches this year, but will still have 14 head-to-head league foes with a pair of divisionals and cross-divisionals throughout the docket. Dallas is seeking to qualify for its sixth straight SCAC Tournament, which will be hosted November 3-4 at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas.
The campaign begins for Coach Trautmann and her Crusaders on Sept. 1-2 in the Millsaps Invitational. Dallas is scheduled to open against LaGrange College and LeTourneau University the first day, while wrapping things up with Dillard University and Agnes Scott College.
The next weekend, Dallas makes one-of-two trips in the month to fellow SCAC school, Austin College. The Austin College Tournament on Sept. 8-9 will feature four games with two per day. All four opponents are members of the American Southwest Conference (ASC), and are teams that went up against the Crusaders in 2016. The quartet of games begin with McMurry University and Sul Ross State University. After a quick rematch with LeTourneau, UD wraps up the tournament with Concordia University.
Following that, the last stretch of non-conference action brings the Crusaders home for a big weekend in front of the home crowd. That slate starts with Brooklyn College at 6 p.m. It should be a fun atmosphere as the SCAC 8-in-8 will be on campus that day. Dallas starts a doubleheader of matchs the next day with future SCAC member Johnson & Wales University (CO). The Wildcats accepted affiliation and will be members of the league in 2018-19. Endicott College concludes the Crusaders' weekend. Those three opponents and LeTourneau University will all be participating in this busy weekend at the Maher Center.
The Crusaders do not venture far from the metroplex with a road game at Southwestern Adventist University on Sept. 19. This will give Dallas five matches over a five-day span.
Sept. 23-24 signals the start of SCAC play at Austin College. The second trip to Sherman out of three weekends will involve games versus Colorado College, Centenary College, and the home 'Roos.
UD heads through the heart of conference play with its next 10 matchups in three weekend tournaments. The next weekend pits the team against four foes in a cross-divisional hosted at Texas Lutheran University. The calendar flips over the two days with Sept. 30 having TLU and Southwestern University, and then the start of October featuring Schreiner University and Trinity University.
The Crusaders enjoy a home match on October 5 versus Randall University (formerly Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College) to break up the conference swing.
Next the Crusaders embark to Colorado Springs home to Colorado College. A meeting with the host team for the second time starts the trio of games on the 13th. The next day has Dallas playing Centenary and Austin College, respectively.
Two days later, the Crusaders welcome the same-named mascot from up the road as Dallas Christian comes to play their final home match of the season.
A final cross-divisional at Centenary College that will have Dallas opposed by Texas Lutheran, Southwestern, Trinity, and Schreiner on the 21st and 22nd wraps up the regular season conference opponents and matches.
The Crusaders conclude the regular season in California on Oct. 27-28 with matches at Mills College and University of California-Santa Cruz.