SPORTS

7 must-see Colorado State volleyball matches in 2014

Matt L. Stephens
matthewstephens@coloradoan.com

There are still 100 days left until the 2014 volleyball season officially starts for CSU, but August will be here before you know it.

Colorado State University unveiled its upcoming schedule Thursday morning and its riddled with high-profile opponents in matches both home and away. Take a look at what The Coloradoan has decided are the seven can't-miss CSU volleyball games of 2014.

Virginia Commonwealth — Aug. 30

VCU doesn't carry the same weight as a home-opener opponent that Baylor, Virginia, Nebraska or Duke did the past few seasons, but it doesn't matter who the Rams play first. The great part about volleyball's first home match is that it's always the first CSU sporting event of the year, drawing interest of even the casual fan.

If the 1 p.m. start time on a Saturday isn't favorable to the student crowds, come back at 7:30 the same night when CSU hosts UC-Santa Barbara. The Guachos reached the NCAA tournament last season.

Marquette — Aug. 31

The Golden Eagles come to Moby Arena as the finale of the Rams Volleyball Classic. Marquette won the Big East last season going 15-1 in conference play and swept Louisville in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

Marquette did graduate five seniors off last year's team, but has plenty of experience in its underclassmen. The biggest hole it will need to fill is that of setter Elizabeth Koberstein, who was named a Volleyball Magazine All-American in 2013.

Wisconsin — Sept. 6

There hasn't been an opponent this big to come through Moby Arena since, at least, Nebraska in 2011, and that might even be a bit of a stretch. CSU brings plenty of big-name schools to town with its guarantee budget of $20,000, but Wisconsin is a different animal.

The Badgers made an impressive run through the NCAA tournament last year before losing in the national championship game to perennial powerhouse Penn State. Should CSU manage to pull off what would surely be considered an upset, it would be a huge boost to the Rams' RPI given Wisconsin competes in the Big Ten, volleyball's toughest conference.

Denver — Sept. 9

CSU has struck up a nice little rivalry with the Pioneers as of late and not just because Denver is an hour down Interstate-25.

DU is a program on the rise and is coached by former Rams' assistant Jesse Mahoney. One of his assistants is former CSU libero Katelin Batten. There's a very workman like attitude the Pioneers are taking, similar to that of the Rams, in building their program. The Pioneers were one win away from reaching the NCAA tournament a year ago, but fell in the championship match of the Summit League tournament.

San Diego State — Oct. 4

San Diego State and CSU always put on a good show when they meet, but this early conference matchup should consist of a group of Rams who are out for blood.

The Aztecs were the only team to beat CSU in the regular season last year, coming back from a two-set deficit in Moby Arena, erasing all hopes the Rams had to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament.

A start time hasn't been set, but it will likely be a night game, giving fans who attended the Ag Day football game vs. Tulsa time to migrate from Hughes Stadium to campus.

At Wyoming — Oct. 7

The lone road game on this list is a can't-miss experience for any dedicated CSU volleyball fan. Yes, this means taking a drive up to Laramie, Wyoming., but the Border War at the UniWyo Sports Complex is a fun event to take in.

The Cowgirls don't play at Arena-Auditorium—the main basketball facility—like plenty of other teams across the conference do. UniWyo is a small gym located next door that seats 1,200 people and gets packed when CSU comes to town.

Plenty of Rams fans make the trip, creating a fairly hostile environment for both teams.

Wyoming — Nov. 26

Of course, if fans are going to travel to Laramie, they might as well attend the rematch in Fort Collins on senior night.

CSU wraps up its regular season with the Border War, a rivalry its dominated under coach Tom Hilbert, who's 33-2 all-time against the Cowgirls. Despite how lopsided the series is, it's always one of the most fun games of the year to watch.

Follow reporter Matt L. Stephens at twitter.com/mattstephens and facebook.com/stephensreporting.