Alabama Volleyball Announces 2017 Schedule
5/31/2017 9:05:00 AM | Volleyball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama volleyball has announced its 2017 schedule, which includes 15 home matches, two home tournaments and road tournaments at Purdue and South Alabama.
"We are extremely excited about our preseason schedule that has us opening at Purdue and playing two NCAA Tournament teams in Purdue and Cleveland State," UA head coach Ed Allen said. "We believe our preseason schedule will help us prepare for the start of SEC play, which we open at Georgia. In all, we will play 10 teams that qualified for postseason play."
Alabama's home schedule includes two September tournaments and nine Southeastern Conference matches. The Tide is 349-173 (.669) all-time at home, including a 35-11 (.761) mark over the last three seasons. The Tide will square off against five in-state opponents, including a home match against Troy (Sept. 16) and road matches at South Alabama (Sept. 1), Samford (Sept. 12), Alabama State (Oct. 12) and Auburn (Nov. 1).
Game times and channel information for SEC matches will be announced at a later date.
The program has seen record attendance at home under head coach Ed Allen, surpassing the 10,000 mark in each of the last five seasons, a mark that had only been surpassed once prior to his arrival in 2011. In 2016, the Tide welcomed 13,961 fans to Foster Auditorium, an average of 873 per match. It is the third-highest attendance total in program history, trailing only the 15,003 in 2015 and 15,627 in 2012.
Alabama opens the season at the annual Mortar Board Premier Tournament, hosted by Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. There, the Tide will face Cleveland State and Oral Roberts Friday, Aug. 25 before playing the host Boilermakers on Saturday, Aug. 26. The following weekend, Alabama travels south to Mobile, Ala., for the Jaguar Invitational, hosted by South Alabama. The Tide opens play against the Jaguars Friday, Sept. 1 and finishes against Southern Miss and McNeese State Saturday, Sept. 2.
Alabama opens its home slate with the Hampton Inn Bama Bash on Sept. 8-9 in Foster Auditorium. The Tide will play two matches on Friday, Sept. 8 against Tennessee State and Hofstra before concluding the weekend against Furman Saturday, Sept. 9. After a midweek match at Samford Tuesday, Sept. 12, the Tide returns home to host the Crimson-White Tournament, facing Southern and Murray State Friday, Sept. 15 and Troy Saturday, Sept. 16.
Alabama opens SEC play on the road against Georgia Friday, Sept. 22 before heading west to Oxford, Miss., to face Ole Miss Sunday, Sept. 24. A midweek match against Arkansas serves as the Tide's SEC home opener Wednesday, Sept. 27 and the Tide begins the month of October hosting Missouri Sunday, Oct. 1. A four-match road stint begins Friday, Oct. 6 at Kentucky and continues Sunday, Oct. 8 at Tennessee, Thursday, Oct. 12 at Alabama State and Sunday, Oct. 15 at LSU.
The Tide returns home Friday, Oct. 20 against Florida and then faces South Carolina two days later on Sunday, Oct. 22. Alabama and Mississippi State square off in Starkville, Miss., Friday, Oct. 27 and the Tide travels to Auburn for a midweek match Wednesday, Nov. 1.
Five of the final seven matches of the regular season will be played in Foster Auditorium, starting with a three-game home stretch against Georgia (Sunday, Nov. 5), Kentucky (Wednesday, Nov. 8) and Tennessee (Sunday, Nov. 12). Alabama travels to Columbia, S.C., to face the Gamecocks Friday, Nov. 17 before returning home to play LSU Sunday, Nov. 19. Alabama closes the regular season with a road match at Missouri (Nov. 22) and a home match against Texas A&M Saturday, Nov. 25.
For the latest information on Alabama volleyball, follow the team on Twitter (@AlabamaVBall) and Instagram (alabamavball) or like us on Facebook at Alabama Volleyball. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
