Volleyball Unveils 2012 Schedule

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KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - - Truman State University volleyball head coach Ben Briney has announced the 2012 fall schedule, highlighted by the first annual “Days Inn Bulldog Invitational” on opening weekend.

The Bulldogs, coming off a 20-14 season, will welcome five teams to Kirksville during Labor Day weekend to kick off the 2012 season. Pershing Arena will play host to six matches both on Friday, Aug. 31 and Saturday, Sept. 1, with Truman playing four matches against regional teams. Included in the slate will be a Friday night showcase match against perennial-NSIC power Minnesota-Duluth and a Saturday afternoon match against Winona (Minn.) State. Truman will also play GLVC-foes McKendree (Ill.) and Missouri-St. Louis during the event.

“The most exciting part of this year's schedule is the Days Inn Bulldog Invitational during the opening weekend,” Briney said. “We have a great group of teams coming to Kirksville, and it should be exciting high-level volleyball. Drawing a program like UMD is also a great bonus, as they routinely finish in the AVCA top ten and always have an incredible program.”

The Truman Athletics Department will join the Central region for competition in 2012, as the MIAA shifts from regional competition with the Lone Star and Heartland conferences to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and the Great American Conference (GAC).

The squad will compete at the UNK Loper Invitational on the second weekend of the season and the Washburn Lady Blues Crossover during the first weekend of October, while also playing 18 MIAA matches. Truman opens MIAA play at conference-newcomer Lindenwood (Mo.) on Tuesday, Sept. 11, before returning home for its MIAA-opener against Washburn on Friday, Sept. 14.

The MIAA will display one set of standings but will incorporate an East/West divisional scheduling format that sees the Bulldogs playing Southwest Baptist, Missouri Southern, Central Missouri, Northwest Missouri, Missouri Western and Lindenwood twice each. Truman will then play Washburn, Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State, Emporia State, and conference-newcomers Nebraska-Kearney and Central Oklahoma just once for a total of 18 matches.

“The conference schedule is going to be even more challenging this year with the additions of UNK, UCO and Lindenwood,” Briney said. “Coupling those programs with the continued improvement of every current program will result in the MIAA continuing to produce some of the best volleyball in the nation.”

Making its return for the first time since the 2007 season will be the MIAA conference tournament, held from Nov. 12-17 on campus sites. The NCAA regionals have been pushed back to post-Thanksgiving this season (Nov. 29-Dec. 1) with the Elite Eight taking place from Dec. 6-8.

The Bulldogs will be home for both Family (Sept. 14) and Homecoming (Oct. 19-20) weekends and will celebrate Senior Night on Saturday, Nov. 3 against Central Missouri. Nonconference midweek matches against Quincy (Sept. 25) and Missouri S&T (Oct. 16) round out the 32-match slate.

The 2012 season will mark the 40^th season of Bulldog volleyball with the program having reached the NCAA tournament 12 times. Truman has a winning percentage of nearly .700 in MIAA play and has won six MIAA championships.

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