OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha head volleyball coach
Matt Buttermore announced the Mavericks' 2019 schedule Monday. The campaign features 13 home matches inside Baxter Arena and four tournaments.
"I'm excited about our schedule and the opportunities it provides us," said Buttermore. "I look forward to seeing what we can learn about ourselves during our challenging pre-conference slate of tournaments and matches. Our conference schedule is interesting, and beyond the tough teams we get to play, we will not have to worry about getting too comfortable. Each week will have a different rhythm of practices and matches, which will help us stay on our toes."
The 2019 season consists of three opponents who posted Top-50 RPI rankings from the previous season – Creighton (13), Washington (25) and Kansas (48). The non-league slate also includes a variety of opponents from the Big 12, Pac 12, ACC, BIG EAST, Missouri Valley, MAAC, Big Sky, Southland, Big South, Big West and the WAC.
Omaha's schedule also features first meetings with Albany, Idaho, Idaho State, Clemson, Washington and High Point.
The Mavericks open the season with their annual Omaha Challenge tournament, which runs Aug. 30-31 and features Albany, Idaho State and Abilene Christian.
Omaha then welcomes Kansas for a home match inside Baxter Arena on Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m.
A road trip to Manhattan, Kan., for the K-State Invitational follows, where the Mavericks face off against Central Arkansas, Clemson and Kansas State, Sept. 5-6.
Omaha then goes to crosstown rival Creighton for the Bluejay Invitational, Sept. 13-14. The team opens the tournament against the Bluejays that Friday at 6 p.m. and follows up with a pair of Saturday matches against Washington and Drake at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Omaha stays in town and returns home the next day for a Sept. 15 bout with High Point.
The Mavericks close out the non-league slate with a trip west for the Grand Canyon Tournament in Phoenix, Ariz., where they take on Idaho, CSUN and host Grand Canyon, Sept. 20-21.
Summit League play opens with a pair of home matches Sept. 27 and Sept. 29 against North Dakota and North Dakota State. Other league home matches include Purdue Fort Wayne (Oct. 13), Denver (Oct. 15), South Dakota State (Oct. 21), Oral Roberts (Oct. 29), South Dakota (Nov. 1) and Western Illinois (Nov. 11).
The Mavericks finished third in The Summit League last season with a 17-12 overall record and a 12-4 mark in conference play. The team returns a total of 11 letterwinners from the previous season.
Season and single-game ticket sales will be announced at a later date.
