UC Riverside Head Volleyball Coach Ron Larsen announced the Highlanders 2012 schedule, showcasing five matches against teams that reached the 2011 NCAA Tournament. (View the complete 2012 schedule).
The Highlanders take part in four consecutive tournaments to open the seaon, beginning in Hempstead, NY for the Hofstra Asics Invitational on August 24-25. UCR will face Fairleigh Dickinson in the opener on Friday before finishing with Providence and host Hofstra on Saturday.
UC Riverside then heads to the Northwest to compete in the Gonzaga Invitational from August 31-September 1, playing Eastern Washington, the host Bulldogs, and South Dakota State.
The Highlanders return to the Golden State for the Cal Invitational on September 7-8 in Berkeley. UCR faces Northern Arizona on Friday before competing against Cal and Pennsylania on Saturday. The Golden Bears finished the 2011 season ranked 16th in the final NCAA poll.
Arizona State hosts UCR’s last tournament of the 2012 season on September 14-15 in Tempe, AZ. UC Riverside will face Florida Atlantic in the tournament opener on Friday followed by a match against the host Sun Devils. On Saturday, UCR competes against Gonzaga for the second time of the year, and concludes the tournament against Villanova.
Big West Conference play opens at the SRC Arena on September 21 as the newest member of the league, Hawai’i, comes calling for a 7:00 pm start. The Rainbow Wahine concluded the 2011 season ranked #5 in the final poll, with an RPI of 10.
Big West reigning champion Long Beach State travels to the Inland Empire on Thursday, October 11 for a 7:00 pm match. Last season, the Highlanders upset the 49ers 3-2 on October 1.
The 2012 regular season concludes on November 23 as the Highlanders travel to Honolulu to face Hawai’i.
