WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – A trio of early-season tournaments including a season-opening trip to Florida highlights a challenging 2022 schedule for the West Liberty University volleyball team.
Head coach
Riley Schenk is looking to build on the momentum from the 2021 campaign that saw the Black and Gold finish the season ranked among the Top 5 nationally in multiple statistical categories. The 2021 Hilltoppers also made headlines with the program's first-ever win against a Top 25 foe – a 3-1 rout of No. 15 Wheeling.
"We open the season against some very high-level competition at the Eckerd (Fla.) Classic," Schenk said. "We were down there in 2019 and it was a great tournament for our student-athletes and our families. We're also going to see outstanding competition early on in the Cedarville (Ohio) Invitational and our own Atlantic Crossover event."
The Hilltoppers will have to hit the ground running in in the Eckerd Classic. They open the season at noon on Aug. 26 against Florida Tech before taking on the host Tritons in a 7:30 p.m. match before closing out the event against Tiffin (Ohio) and Wilmington (Del.) the following day.
West Liberty heads to the Buckeye State for the Cedarville Invitational on Sept. 2-3. The Hilltoppers play Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) and the host Yellowjackets on Day One before wrapping up against Central State (Ohio) and Seton Hill (Pa.) on Sept. 3.
The Black and Gold's home opener is set for Sept. 6 against Pitt-Johnstown before four more PSAC programs – Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, Millersville and Clarion – invade the ASRC for the Atlantic Region Crossover on Sept. 9-10. Clarion is the defending PSAC Tournament champion.
West Liberty heads to Salem (W.Va.) on Sept. 16 before closing out its non-conference slate at home on Sept. 17 against a Daemen (N.Y.) squad coming off an NCAA Division II East Region championship and run to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
"Our team understands that the first 3-4 weeks of the season leading up to conference play are crucial in terms of shaping the regional rankings," Schenk said. "I scheduled games against high-level opponents because we have made competing for regional rankings and NCAA Tournament bids a goal and an expectation for this program. This gives us the best opportunity to be in those regional ranking discussions at the end of the year and I can't wait to get started."
The Hilltoppers open MEC play at Notre Dame (Ohio) on Sept. 20.
WEST LIBERTY
(all times Eastern)
Date: Opponent Time
Aug. 26: vs. Florida Tech
1 Noon
Aug. 26: at Eckerd (Fla.)
1 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 27: vs. Tiffin (Ohio)
1 12:30 p.m.
Aug. 27: vs. Wilmington (Del.)
1 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 2: vs. Saginaw Valley (Mich.)
2 11:45 a.m.
Sept. 2: at Cedarville (Ohio)
2 7 p.m.
Sept. 3: vs. Central State (Ohio)
2 11:30 a.m.
Sept. 3: vs. Seton Hill (Pa.)
2 2 p.m.
Sept. 6: Pitt-Johnstown 6 p.m.
Sept. 9: Shippensburg (Pa.)
3 1 p.m.
Sept. 9: Slippery Rock (Pa.)
3 5 p.m.
Sept. 10: Millersville (Pa.)
3 10 a.m.
Sept. 10: Clarion (Pa.)
3 4 p.m.
Sept. 16: at Salem (W.Va.) 5 p.m.
Sept. 17: Daemen (N.Y.) 2 p.m.
Sept. 20: at Notre Dame (Ohio)* 7 p.m.
Sept. 23: Alderson Broaddus* 7 p.m.
Sept. 27: Fairmont State* 7 p.m.
Sept. 30: at Frostburg State* 7 p.m.
Oct. 4: at Wheeling* 7 p.m.
Oct. 7: Glenville State* 6 p.m.
Oct. 8: Concord* 11 a.m.
Oct. 11: at W.Va. State* 7 p.m.
Oct. 14: Charleston* 7 p.m.
Oct. 18: Notre Dame (Ohio)* 7 p.m.
Oct. 21: at Davis & Elkins* 7 p.m.
Oct. 22: at W.Va. Wesleyan* 11 a.m.
Oct. 25: at Alderson Broaddus* 7 p.m.
Oct. 28: Frostburg State* 7 p.m.
Nov. 1: at Fairmont State* 7 p.m.
Nov. 4: Wheeling* 7 p.m.
Nov. 10-12: MEC Tournament TBA
Nov. 18-20: NCAA D2 Atlantic Regional TBA
*-Mountain East Conference game
1-Eckerd (Fla.) Classic
2-Cedarville (Ohio) Invitational
3-Atlantic Region Crossover
