Full Schedule
West Hartford, CT - University of Hartford women's volleyball coach Don Ferguson announced the release of the Hawks 2010 schedule. Next year's schedule features 29 total matches, including a return to a 12 match conference slate following the addition of Providence to the America East Conference.
The Hawks will play in a total of four tournaments, including a season opening tournament at La Salle. Hartford begins the 2010 season with neutral court matches against Niagara and Valparaiso before taking on the host Explorers in the final match of the tournament. The La Salle Tournament is scheduled for August 27 and 28. Hartford will play one exhibition match in preparation for the season opener against the Alumni on August 21 at 1:00 p.m.
The first 11 matches of the season will all be on the road, including the La Salle Tournament, three at the UConn Toyota Classic and three at the Quinnipiac Invitational. Two other road matches will break up tournament play, Marist on September 1 (7:00 p.m.) and Holy Cross on September 7 (time TBA). Joining the Hawks and Huskies at the UConn Toyota Classic (September 3-4) will be Southern Illinois and Brown, while Dartmouth and Saint Peter's will join Hartford and Quinnipiac for the Bobcats home invitational (September 10-11).
The Hawks will play their first of nine home matches on September 15, when they welcome the Central Connecticut Blue Devils (6:00 p.m.) to the Reich Family Pavilion. Hartford will also host Bryant (September 22, 6:00 p.m.) and Sacred Heart (September 23, 6:00 p.m.) for home non-conference matches.
The Sacred Heart match will serve as the final non-conference game of the season and the final tune-up before the Hawks 12-match conference slate on October 1 at New Hampshire (7:00 p.m.). The first three conference matches will be on the road with trips to Providence (October 3, 1:00 p.m.) and UMBC (October 10, time TBA) following the opener in Durham, NH.
The Hawks will welcome all six of the conference opponents to West Hartford during the season. Binghamton will serve as the home conference opener on October 15 (6:00 p.m.), while Albany follows two days later (October 17, 1:00 p.m.). The home finale and senior day for the Hawks only senior, Lindsay Ford, will be on November 5 when they welcome UMBC to West Hartford for a 6:00 p.m. match. The season finale will be at Binghamton on November 14 (2:00 p.m.), with the top four teams in the conference qualifying for the 2010 America East Championship to be held at the home court of the highest seeded team.
The Hartford volleyball team finished 2010 with a 7-21 overall record. Ferguson returns six players from last year's squad, including two of the top three hitters on the team. Ford will return as one of two captains and will lead the Hawks offense on the floor after playing every single set as the Hawks setter last season. She finished her junior campaign with 845 assists. Sophomore Kami Nethersole returns as the leading hitter, after finishing with 216 kills and a team-best .222 hitting percentage. Despite missing the final five conference matches of the season, Nethersole was named to the America East All-Rookie team.
The Hawks will also welcome four newcomers to the roster. A pair of outside hitters will join the roster, Taylor McCreery from St. Louis, MO and Dionna Kirton from Seattle, WA. Also joining the offensive threat will be middle hitter Lindsay Anderson from Chicago, IL, while Brooke Tallinger, a setter from Penfield, NY, will spend a year studying the Hawks offense under the tutelage of Ford.
