BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University volleyball announced its ever-challenging 2010 schedule Thursday morning. The Mountaineers, who are looking to improve upon an impressive 2009 season, will play 11 home matches during the upcoming campaign and partake in four tournaments, including hosting its annual Appalachian Invitational.
Head coach Matt Ginipro is excited and anxious about the upcoming season and looks forward to seeing what his young team can accomplish.
"We're excited to get the 2010 season underway as we push towards a SoCon championship," Ginipro said. "The teams we are playing in the non-conference segment are extremely talented and will challenge us to play our best every match. After the four tournaments and one mid-week match against ETSU, we will dive right into the SoCon season that will be extremely competitive this year. I am very happy that we have returned to an eight-team conference championship, but the battle for the four spots in each division is going to be difficult. Every year, this conference gets more and more competitive across the board. We had a great spring and I know our returners, along with our five incoming players, are fired up to be at the top of the conference."
The much-anticipated season starts on August 27, as the Black and Gold travel off the mountain to play three in-state foes in NC A&T, UNC Wilmington and tournament-host High Point at the High Point Tournament.
Appalachian then takes a quick break from tournament action to make a trip to Tennessee to battle former-Southern Conference rival East Tennessee State on Tuesday August 31.
Three more early season tournaments highlight Appalachian's slate, with the Mountaineers hosting the Appalachian Invitational the weekend of September 3. The Apps will welcome Valparaiso, Eastern Kentucky and USC Upstate to the High Country for Labor Day Weekend.
League action gets underway in earnest on September 25, as ASU hosts The Citadel in the Holmes Center.
A contest against Western Carolina on the road and then two monstrous matches against SoCon North division rivals Elon and UNC Greensboro close out the month of September and open up the month of October for Appalachian.
After hosting the Spartans, ASU then hits the road for four challenging matches against defending SoCon North division champion Samford, Chattanooga, conference tournament champion Furman and Wofford.
Once the grueling road stint is completed, the Apps will play five of their final eight regular-season matches on its home floor, playing its final home match of the season against Samford on November 7.
Returning to an eight-team tournament format, four teams from each division will vie for a spot to compete at the 2010 Southern Conference Volleyball Championship which will be held in Charleston, S.C., November 19-21.