The Fightin' Blue Hens, who are coming off the finest season in program history, will also face four teams that made the NCAA championship tournament last year. The postseason participants include Big 10 Conference power Michigan State University, which advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling in a grueling 3-2 match to the University of Nebraska.
Delaware also will face Duke University, which made it to the round of 32, along with Pepperdine University and the College of Charleston, which both bowed out in the first round of the tournament.
The Blue Hens return eight regulars from last year's team that posted a 31-6 record and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament after capturing the program's first Colonial Athletic Association title. All-American libero Steph Barry, All-CAA hitter Kelly Gibson and CAA All-Rookie selection Katie Dennehy will lead the team's quest to defend its conference crown. Molly Rand, Michelle LaLonde, Jess Chason, Paige Erickson and Greta Gibboney round out the veteran portion of next year's squad.
Delaware will open the season with a trip to California on Aug. 29-30, where California State University Fullerton will host its annual invitational. Along with the host Titans, the Blue Hens will face Pepperdine and the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
The following weekend, Sept. 5-6, Delaware will host its own tournament as Michigan State, the University of New Hampshire and Syracuse University visit.
After battling Temple University during the team's first midweek nonconference match of the season on Sept. 9, Delaware will embark on a southern swing that takes the squad to both North Carolina and South Carolina.
On Sept. 12, the Blue Hens will open their trip with three matches in two days during the Wake Forest Tournament in Winston Salem, N.C. Joining the Blue Hens and Demon Deacons will be East Carolina University and Western Michigan University.
One week later, Delaware will travel to compete in the College of Charleston Tournament in South Carolina. The four-team invitational, which includes three NCAA tournament participants from 2007, will begin on Sept. 19. Duke and Gardner-Webb University will join the Hens and host Cougars to round out the field.
Following a match with Delaware State University on Sept. 23, Delaware will kick-off its Colonial Athletic Association schedule with trips to Georgia State University on Sept. 26 and the University of North Carolina Wilmington on Sept. 28.
The next week, the Blue Hens will enjoy their longest homestand of the season, playing five straight matches on Barbara Viera Court in the Carpenter Sports Building. During that stretch, Delaware will open up the home conference portion of its schedule with matches against the College of William and Mary on Oct. 3 and Virginia Commonwealth University on Oct. 4.
Remaining at home, the Blue Hens will face the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Oct. 8, play a conference match against Towson University on Oct. 10 and take on Villanova University on Oct. 15.
Two conference trips to Virginia, one to James Madison University on Oct. 17 and George Mason University on Oct. 18 and another to Virginia Commonwealth University on Oct. 31 and William and Mary on Nov. 1, will be broken up by three straight matches in Newark. The first two will be back-to-back conference contests against UNC Wilmington and Georgia State on October 24-25, while the final match will be a nonconference match against the University of Pennsylvania on Oct. 28.
In November, Delaware will cap its home slate with contests against Northeastern University on Nov. 7, last season's conference runner-up Hofstra University on Nov. 8 and the University of Maryland Baltimore County on Nov. 11. Four days later, the Hens will conclude their regular-season schedule with a trip to Towson on Nov. 15.
The CAA championship will be played on the home court of the highest seed Nov. 20-22. The NCAA tournament will begin two weeks later on Dec. 4.
For more information on UD athletics, see [www.udel.edu/sportsinfo].
Photo by Mark Campbell
