By: Calvin Jensen, USU Eastern Athletics
The USU Eastern women’s volleyball team has announced its 2021 schedule and it looks to be the most competitive schedule yet for the Lady Eagles squad. USU Eastern will face several teams for the first time, many of which have been ranked nationally and joined the Eagles at the national tournament last Spring.
The team begins their preseason August 20 traveling to Council Bluffs, Iowa to take part in the Iowa Western Reiver Classic. There they will take on four well-coached programs who have all found themselves in the Top 20 nationally in recent years including Indian Hills who climbed to No. 20 late in the season and of course the Iowa Western Reivers who defeated USU Eastern in the second round of the national tournament and would eventually go on to win the national championship.
Riverton, Wyoming will be their next destination as they participate in the Midway Tournament taking on Western Nebraska who finished No. 11 in the national rankings and competed at the national tournament in Missouri. The Lady Eagles will compete against tournament host Central Wyoming as well as Casper College and Colby.
The Dalton Street Invitational in Prescott, Arizona has been a part of the Lady Eagles preseason schedule for several years as Yavapai College draws some of the best teams in the country. The Lady Eagles will face a familiar program in Florida Southwestern State College whom the Eagles defeated in their final round of the national tournament. Battling against two additional programs that made a national tournament appearance will be Yavapai College and in their first matchup ever, Wallace State. Eastern Arizona who has had plenty of success of their own will also be on the tournament schedule for the Lady Eagles.
Northeastern Junior College hosts the Lady Eagles in their final preseason competition comprised entirely of national tournament contenders as they once again face reigning national champion Iowa Western as well as Western Nebraska and the home team, the Northeastern Junior College Plainswomen.
On the road and in one of the most competitive conferences in the nation, the Lady Eagles will face their Scenic West opponents beginning September 23 against Snow College and the College of Southern Nevada. Following their road stint the Lady Eagles will play five consecutive conference games at home against each of their conference foes and will finish SWAC play on the road against the College of Southern Idaho, Salt Lake Community College, and Colorado Northwestern.
The region 18 tournament will take place in Rangely, Colorado hosted by Colorado Northwestern Community College on November 5 and 6. The Lady Eagles are hopeful to return to the national tournament which will be held in Hutchinson, Kansas November 18 thru November 20.
To view all the scheduled dates and times for women’s volleyball action head on over to the USU Eastern athletics page at www.usueasternathletics.com.