Moon Township, Pa. - Robert Morris University volleyball head coach Dale Starr announced the Colonials' 2011 schedule Wednesday, a slate that spans 31 matches and includes home meetings with local rivals Pittsburgh and Duquesne.
Robert Morris will compete in four tournaments during the 2011 campaign, but unlike in recent years, RMU will start the season away from home. The Colonials will also be facing a slew of successful squads in the early going as only one of their first seven opponents had a losing record in 2010.
RMU will open the season with three matches at the WVU Tournament Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 27-28. Robert Morris will face a challenging foe to open 2011 as it meets Valparaiso Saturday at Noon. The Crusaders, who will be meeting RMU for the first time in program history, went 27-8 a season ago, played for the Horizon League title and ranked among the top five nationally in digs per set. The Colonials will conclude the tournament Sunday with back-to-back matches against Towson at 4:00 p.m. and Big East member West Virginia at 7:00 p.m. RMU will be seeking its fourth victory in school history against the Mountaineers Sunday evening.
Robert Morris will remain on the road the following weekend as it plays a trio of matches at the James Madison Tournament. RMU opens play Friday, Sept. 2, at 5:00 p.m. by taking on Coastal Carolina for the first time since 2000. Its middle match of the weekend comes against a familiar foe as Robert Morris tangles with Keystone State opponent Lehigh for the third time in four seasons at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 3. The Colonials close the tournament Saturday at 7:30 p.m. by facing the host Dukes, a squad that went 22-8 in 2010 and finished second in the Colonial Athletic Association. It will be the first meeting between the schools since 1995.
After six matches away from home, the Colonials will play their 2011 home opener Tuesday, Sept. 6, against Duquesne at 7:00 p.m. It will be the 14th-consecutive season in which Robert Morris has met the Dukes, a team that posted 23 wins in 2010.
RMU will not spend much time on its home floor before heading back out on the road for the Kent State Tournament Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9-10. The Colonials will battle William & Mary for the first time in program history Friday at 3:00 p.m. before playing IUPUI and the host Golden Flashes Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively.
With three tournaments under its belt, the Colonials will then return home to host the Robert Morris Holiday Inn Volleyball Classic Friday, Sept. 16, and Saturday, Sept. 17. RMU opens tournament play with a match against the University of Texas-Pan American Friday at Noon before matching up with Morgan State for the second-consecutive season Friday at 7:00 p.m. The Colonials close the tournament Saturday evening against Eastern Michigan at 5:00 p.m. The Eagles won 24 matches a season ago although RMU claimed victory the last time the programs met in 2004.
After its final non-conference road match Tuesday, Sept. 20, at Youngstown State, Robert Morris will open Northeast Conference (NEC) play during the final weekend of September.
For the third consecutive season, the Colonials will play a double round-robin within league play for a total of 16 conference matches. This bodes well for RMU since it has absolutely dominated its NEC opposition throughout its history. Robert Morris has a winning record against every current NEC volleyball program and sports a cumulative mark of 155-38 (.803) against this octet of schools.
RMU will commence NEC action Saturday, Sept. 25, with a match at Long Island before facing St. Francis (N.Y.) the following afternoon. The Colonials will open their home NEC schedule, as well as a five-match homestand, three days later when they meet in-state rival Saint Francis (Pa.) Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 7:00 p.m.
After playing three NEC matches at home to open October, including two during the Homecoming Weekend of Oct. 8-9, Robert Morris will welcome the Pittsburgh Panthers to the Charles L. Sewall Center Wednesday, Oct. 12, after the squads played a thrilling five-set match in 2010 at Pittsburgh.
Robert Morris then heads back to the road for six of its next eight matches, all of which are in conference, from mid-October to the beginning of November.
The Colonials will close the regular season Saturday, Nov. 12, and Sunday, Nov. 13, by hosting their final two matches against Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart.
The NEC Tournament will be held Saturday, Nov. 19, and Sunday, Nov. 20.
Robert Morris went 13-3 in conference play in 2010 and advanced to its 12th-consecutive NEC Tournament, extending the league's longest active streak. The Colonials ended Long Island's reign at the top of the NEC with a thrilling five-set victory over the Blackbirds in the conference semifinals before dropping the rubber match of its season series to Sacred Heart in the program's 13th appearance in a league championship match, a NEC record.
