University of Delaware Athletics
Blue Hens To Face Six NCAA Tournament Teams in Challenging 2015 Schedule
6/26/2015 9:47:00 AM | Volleyball
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware volleyball team will face six NCAA Tournament squads during its 2015 season as the Blue Hens announced their challenging schedule on Friday.
Bonnie KennyThe Blue Hens, who return all but one starter from last year's squad that finished 15-17 overall and 8-8 in the Colonial Athletic Association, kick off the campaign on Aug. 28-29 at the Central Florida Invitational. After opening the year vs. Southern Illinois, Delaware will face a pair of 2014 NCAA Tournament squads in the host Knights and Northern Colorado.
The following weekend the Blue Hens will again head south to compete in the North Carolina State Tournament on Sept. 4-5. After opening play against the host Wolfpack, UD will take on NCAA Tournament participant Jacksonville and SEC opponent Ole Miss.
Delaware plays its final road tournament at the UNH Holly Young Invitational on Sept. 11-12, kicking off the action against the host Wildcats, a 2014 NCAA Tournament participant after winning the America East title. The Blue Hens will then take on their second ACC foe of the year in Boston College before facing Big Ten opponent Michigan State, which advanced to the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament.
Following a road match at Penn on Sept. 15, Delaware opens its home schedule by hosting the UD Invitational at the Bob Carpenter Center on Sept. 18-19. The Blue Hens will face Morgan State and Loyola (Md.) on the first day of the tournament, before taking on Sacred Heart the following afternoon.
UD then opens CAA play on Sept. 25 at home against James Madison, the first of three matches that will take place in the Carpenter Sports Building, the program's primary home through the 2011 season. Delaware returns to the BCC two days later to face rival Towson on Sept. 27.
The Blue Hens then play four consecutive matches down south, heading to the College of Charleston on Oct. 3, UNCW on Oct. 5, Elon on Oct. 10 and William & Mary on Oct. 12. Delaware returns home on Oct. 16 to face defending league champion Hofstra at the CSB, before a home contest at the BCC against Northeastern two days later.
UD begins the second half of conference play at Towson on Oct. 21 and at James Madison on Oct. 25, before hosting Elon on Oct. 31 and William & Mary on Nov. 1 at the BCC. Delaware travels north to battle Northeastern on Nov. 7 and Hofstra on Nov. 9, and is home for its final two regular season matches of the year.
UD will take on the College of Charleston at the CSB on Nov. 13, before wrapping up the campaign on Nov. 15 vs. UNCW at the BCC.
The six-team CAA Tournament will be held from Nov. 20-23 on the campus of the regular season champion.
Delaware returns libero Taylor Hollingsworth and five starters for the 2015 season, including senior outside hitter Katie Hillman who earned second team All-CAA honors a year ago.
Hillman ranked second in the league by averaging 3.21 kills per game as a junior, and will be joined on the front row by classmate Chandler Bryant, who was eighth in the conference with a .281 attack percentage. Hollingsworth's 5.00 digs average was good for third in the CAA, while setter Julia Anderson also ranked third by handing out 7.68 assists per set.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Kevin Tritt at: ktritt@udel.edu (email) / 302-831-8715 (office) / 302-383-5005 (cell)
