CSU volleyball to play national runner-up Wisconsin in 2014
CSU released its 2014 volleyball schedule Thursday and the Rams have a tough slate looming this fall, but for good reason.
With 100 days until the season-opener, Colorado State University will play six matches against teams that made the NCAA tournament in 2013 and four that won their conference championships. The Rams, who went 28-2 last season, but weren’t selected to host the opening round of the NCAA tournament, would likely be in better standing with the RPI should they have a comparable outcome this year.
The schedule opens serve Aug. 30 with the Rams Volleyball Classic when CSU hosts Virginia Commonwealth and UC-Santa Barbara before wrapping up the event Aug. 31 against Marquette. UCSB and the Golden Eagles made the NCAA tournament last year.
In-state rival Denver, coached by for Rams’ assistant Jesse Mahoney, will visit Fort Collins on Sept. 9, but the biggest nonconference game of the season to come to Moby Arena will happen three days earlier when CSU plays host to Wisconsin. The Badgers finished the 2013 season ranked second in the AVCA Coaches Poll after losing to Penn State in the national championship game.
Notable nonconference road games include Arizona State, New Mexico State, Brigham Young, Pepperdine and Northern Colorado. 2014 will mark the fourth consecutive season CSU and the University of Colorado won’t meet.
CSU shifts gears to Mountain West action on Sept. 25, when it tries to defend its five straight conference titles with a two-game road trip at Utah State and Boise State. UNLV is the first league opponent to visit Moby on Oct. 2, followed by San Diego State on Oct. 4. The Aztecs were the only team to beat CSU during the regular season last year, erasing an 0-2 deficit in Fort Collins, ending the Rams’ chances of hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament.
The Rams play eight Mountain West opponents twice in a home-at-home series, but will face San Jose State and Nevada once. The Spartans visit Moby on Nov. 19 and CSU wil head to Nevada the following day.
CSU ends the regular season at 7 p.m. on Nov. 26 against Border War rival Wyoming.
Follow reporter Matt L. Stephens at twitter.com/mattstephens and facebook.com/stephensreporting.