June 15, 2010

2010 Volleyball Schedule

CHICAGO - The Loyola University Chicago women's volleyball team, led by fifth-year head coach Marcie Wolbeck, has released its 2010 fall schedule. The Ramblers open the season in Lincoln Park at the Chicago Challenge and will play eight matches against teams from the state of Illinois during the campaign.

After a one-year hiatus, the Chicago Challenge returns to the schedule this season. DePaul will serve as the host for the season-opening tournament and Loyola will lift the lid on the 2010 season on Aug. 27 when it battles Northwestern. The Ramblers will then face either DePaul or UIC the following evening. After engaging Illinois State in a stirring five-set match at the Gentile Center last season, Loyola will next head to Bloomington for the return match (Aug. 31).

Loyola continues its non-conference slate with a trip to Madison, Wis., where the Ramblers will take part in the Inntowner Invitational hosted by Wisconsin. Loyola opens with a Friday night (Sept. 3)?match against Chicago State before battling Duquesne on Saturday morning and the host Badgers in the final match of the tournament on Saturday night. From there, the Ramblers head to Evansville the following weekend for the Aces Dunn Hospitality Invitational. A Friday afternoon match against Missouri State (Sept. 10) opens tournament play and LU?will take on host Evansville and Western Carolina on Saturday before heading back to the Windy City.

After three weeks on the road, the Ramblers finally open the home portion of their 2010 schedule on Sept. 14 when they battle Indiana State inside Alumni Gym. The match is the opener of a three-match homestand, as Loyola will also take on Butler (Sept. 17)?and Wright State (Sept. 18)?to open Horizon League play. After a week off, the Ramblers make the short trip to UIC?for a Saturday afternoon match (Sept. 25) and wrap up the month of September with a mid-week road match at Bradley on Sept. 28.

Loyola's road swing continues through the first week of October and the Ramblers will face three stern tests at Green Bay (Oct. 1), Milwaukee (Oct. 2)?and Valparaiso (Oct. 5). Home matches against Youngstown?State (Oct. 9)?and Cleveland State (Oct. 10)?provide a brief respite before road games at Wright State (Oct. 15)?and Butler (Oct. 16) take Loyola into the second half of the Horizon League schedule. A Friday night home clash with UIC?(Oct. 22)?follows and Loyola closes out the calendar month with home matches against Milwaukee (Oct. 29)?and Green Bay (Oct. 30).

The Ramblers open the home stretch with their annual trip to Northeastern Ohio, taking on Cleveland State (Nov. 5)?and Youngstown State (Nov. 6), before wrapping up the regular season and closing the curtain on the final season of Alumni Gym on Nov. 12 against Valparaiso.

Loyola returns three starters from last year's squad, led by Colleen Francis who totaled a team-best 314 kills in 2009.