Posted: Jul 01, 2014
Two-Time ECAC New England Champions Announce 2014 Schedule
2014 Golden Bears volleyball schedule
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Western New England University women's volleyball coach Bret Stothart has announced the 2014 schedule for the two-time Eastern College Athletic Conference New England champions, who will open the season in Norton by trying to defend another tournament title at the Wheaton College Invitational on Satuday, Aug. 30. Western New England will play Wheaton, Westfield State and Neumann University.
The Golden Bears began last year by defeating three opponents by a combined 9-1 score, including the host Lyons, en route to a 25-9 overall mark. Western New England has achieved back-to-back 25-win campaigns (25-7 in 2012) for the first time since the program was founded in 1993.
This fall's 31-match docket includes five in-season tournaments: Wheaton Invitational, the Golden Bears own WNE Invitational (Sep. 5-6), Trinity College Invitational (Sep. 12-13), New York University Violet Classic (Sep. 20) and MIT Tournament (Oct. 17-18). Another highlight includes 10 matches in the friendly confines of the Alumni Healthful Living Center (AHLC) field house where the Golden Bears have won 75.7 percent (28-9) of their matches at home since Coach Stothart took over the reins in 2011.
Western New England's home opener will be on Wednesday, Sep. 3, against Johnson & Wales University (R.I.) and the WNE Invitational wraps up the season's longest homestand at four. The four-team tournament will welcome Western Connecticut State University as well as Elms and Smith colleges. The Golden Bears have claimed the past two WNE Invitational crowns.
"Our 2014 schedule offers very strong competition both in- and out-of-region," Stothart said. "We need to be at the top of our game from Day 1 and take on each challenge as an opportunity to achieve and to improve, so that we can continue our growth as a program and reach all of our top goals."
The Commonwealth Coast Conference schedule commences for the Golden Bears on Wednesday, Sep. 24, when they host Gordon College at the AHLC.
The regular season concludes with four straight conference matches against Salve Regina University (Oct. 22) at home, Wentworth Institute of Technology (Oct. 25) and Roger Williams University (Oct. 28) both on the road, and versus Endicott College (Nov. 1) at home for Senior Day.
The CCC Tournament will take place with quarterfinal action on Nov. 4, the semifinals will be held on Nov. 6 and the championship match will take place on Nov. 8. The winner earns the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship as the regionals will run Nov. 14-16.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Western New England University women's volleyball coach Bret Stothart has announced the 2014 schedule for the two-time Eastern College Athletic Conference New England champions, who will open the season in Norton by trying to defend another tournament title at the Wheaton College Invitational on Satuday, Aug. 30. Western New England will play Wheaton, Westfield State and Neumann University.
The Golden Bears began last year by defeating three opponents by a combined 9-1 score, including the host Lyons, en route to a 25-9 overall mark. Western New England has achieved back-to-back 25-win campaigns (25-7 in 2012) for the first time since the program was founded in 1993.
This fall's 31-match docket includes five in-season tournaments: Wheaton Invitational, the Golden Bears own WNE Invitational (Sep. 5-6), Trinity College Invitational (Sep. 12-13), New York University Violet Classic (Sep. 20) and MIT Tournament (Oct. 17-18). Another highlight includes 10 matches in the friendly confines of the Alumni Healthful Living Center (AHLC) field house where the Golden Bears have won 75.7 percent (28-9) of their matches at home since Coach Stothart took over the reins in 2011.
Western New England's home opener will be on Wednesday, Sep. 3, against Johnson & Wales University (R.I.) and the WNE Invitational wraps up the season's longest homestand at four. The four-team tournament will welcome Western Connecticut State University as well as Elms and Smith colleges. The Golden Bears have claimed the past two WNE Invitational crowns.
"Our 2014 schedule offers very strong competition both in- and out-of-region," Stothart said. "We need to be at the top of our game from Day 1 and take on each challenge as an opportunity to achieve and to improve, so that we can continue our growth as a program and reach all of our top goals."
The Commonwealth Coast Conference schedule commences for the Golden Bears on Wednesday, Sep. 24, when they host Gordon College at the AHLC.
The regular season concludes with four straight conference matches against Salve Regina University (Oct. 22) at home, Wentworth Institute of Technology (Oct. 25) and Roger Williams University (Oct. 28) both on the road, and versus Endicott College (Nov. 1) at home for Senior Day.
The CCC Tournament will take place with quarterfinal action on Nov. 4, the semifinals will be held on Nov. 6 and the championship match will take place on Nov. 8. The winner earns the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship as the regionals will run Nov. 14-16.
