NEWARK, DE -- A trip to California as well as treks to North and South Carolina highlight the 2008 University of Delaware volleyball schedule that was announced today by head coach Bonnie Kenny (at right).

The Blue Hens, who are coming off their finest season in program history, will also face four teams that made the NCAA Tournament last year. The postseason participants include Big 10 power Michigan State, who advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling in a grueling 3-2 match to Nebraska.

Delaware will also face Duke, who made it to the round of 32, along with Pepperdine and the College of Charleston, who both bowed out in their first matches 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-ever Colonial Athletic Association title. All-American libero Steph Barry, All-Conference hitter Kelly Gibson, and 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 its season with a trip to California on August 29-30 where Cal State Fullerton will host its annual invitational. Along with the Titans, the Hens will square off with Pepperdine and UNC Greensboro before making their return trip back to Newark.

The following weekend, Delaware will host its own tournament on September 5 and 6 as Michigan State, New Hampshire, and Syracuse will all come to the First State. The Hens will face the Spartans in the last match of the two-day invitational with the contest slated to start at 7 p.m.

After battling Temple during the team’s first mid-week non-conference action of the season on September 9, Delaware will embark on a southern swing that takes the squad to both North and South Carolina.

On September 12, the Hens will open their trip with three matches in two days during the Wake Forest Tournament in Winston Salem. Joining the Hens and Demon Deacons will be East Carolina and Western Michigan.

One week later, Delaware will travel further south with a trek to the College of Charleston Tournament. The four-team invitational, which includes three NCAA Tournament participants from 2007, will begin on September 19. Duke and Gardner-Webb will join the Hens and Cougars to round out the field in Charleston, SC.

Following a match with intrastate rival Delaware State on September 23, Delaware will kick-off its Colonial Athletic Association schedule with a trip to Georgia State and UNC-Wilmington on September 26th and 28th.

The very next week, the Hens will hold their longest homestand of the season, playing five straight matches on Viera Court. During that stretch, Delaware will open up the home conference portion of its schedule with matches against William & Mary and Virginia Commonwealth on October 3 and 4. Contests against UMES (Oct. 8), Towson (Oct. 10), and Villanova (Oct. 15) will cap off the homestand before the Hens head back on the road.

Two conference trips to Virginia, one to James Madison and George Mason on October 17 and 18 and another to VCU and William & Mary on October 31 and November 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 non-conference showdown with Penn on October 28.

In November, Delaware will cap its home slate with contests against Northeastern (Nov. 7) and last season's conference runner-up Hofstra (Nov. 8) before battling UMBC on the 11th. Four days later, the Hens will conclude their regular-season schedule with a trip to Towson to take on the Tigers on November 15.

The CAA Championship will be hosted by the highest seed on November 20-22. The NCAA Tournament will begin two weeks later on December 4.

Complete Schedule