Volleyball Announces 2003 Schedule
4/17/2003 12:00:00 AM
April 17, 2003
FORT WORTH, Texas - Head coach Prentice Lewis announced the schedule for the 2003 volleyball season on Thursday. Six NCAA Tournament teams from 2002 and a Thanksgiving tournament at Long Beach State highlight the itinerary for the Horned Frogs.
"It is a schedule that will prepare us for Conference USA and will let us see how we compare to the top programs in the country," said Lewis in announcing the schedule.
The Thanksgiving tournament at Long Beach State will provide the toughest challenge for the Frogs. UC-Irvine and Cal round out the field for the Niners' tournament.
"This tourney is special for a number of reasons. It is after our conference season is finished and it's over a holiday weekend, so it is like a football bowl game for us," Lewis continued. "Personally, it is very exciting, not only because will we play two potential Final Four teams (Cal, Long Beach State), but because we will be competing against my two mentors."
Coach Lewis played high school and club on teams coached by UC-Irvine head coach Charlie Brande and won a national championship at Long Beach State under Brian Gimmilaro.
"Those two have gotten me where I am today and are two men I respect a great deal."
The Frogs will open the season August 29 and 30 in a tournament at the College of Charleston with matches against Charleston, Delaware and Middle Tennessee State.
"We get right after it the very first weekend," Lewis said. "Charleston made the tournament last year and we will have to be ready to go."
The second weekend of the season has the Frogs on the road playing North Carolina State, Virginia Tech and High Point, September 5 and 6 in Raleigh, N.C. The Virginia Tech match will be a rematch of a hard fought four-gamer between the two teams in 2002 at the Clemson tourney.
The home opener in the brand new Rec Center is set for September 12 against UT Pan-Am at 7:00 p.m. during the TCU Invitational.
"We can't wait to get that place rocking and make it an arena that gives us a true home court advantage," said Lewis. The Horned Frogs will play two matches at home on Saturday, Sept. 13 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Arkansas State.
After the home opener the Frogs travel to Pittsburgh to take on Pitt, Toledo and Northeastern. This will be an exciting weekend for assistant coach Jason Tanaka as the Frogs battle the last team he coached before becoming the top assistant at TCU, the Pitt Panthers.
The pre-season ends September 26 and 27 when the TCU Volleyball Team returns for a five-team tournament at TCU. The Frogs will play Grambling, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, St. Francis (Pa.) and St. Mary's (Calif.).
Conference USA play begins Oct. 3 and 4 with trips to Tulane and Southern Miss, respectively. The Frogs will entertain Memphis on Oct. 10 to open the home portion of conference action.
