WILDCAT VOLLEYBALL ANNOUNCES 2009 SCHEDULE

DURHAM, N.H. – Jill Hirschinger, head coach of the University of New Hampshire volleyball team, has announced the schedule for the upcoming 2009 season.

The Wildcats open their 2009 campaign on Friday, Aug. 28 at the Syracuse Tournament. UNH will play the host Orange as well as Siena and Sacramento State during the opening weekend of competition in Syracuse.

New Hampshire opens its home slate with a single exhibition match against Bentley University on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. The following weekend, UNH will travel to participate in the UConn Tournament and will play the host Huskies, Texas Christian University (TCU) and Long Island University (LIU) Sept. 3-4. UNH will stay on the road as it squares off against Rhode Island, Brown and Syracuse at the URI Tournament and will continue play in the Ocean State with a single match against Bryant University.

UNH will return home for its annual tournament Sept. 18-19. The Wildcats welcome in Arizona State, Wyoming as well as Harvard.

The Wildcats will conclude non-conference play with a single match at Northeastern on Sept. 22 and weekend tournament at Providence College Sept. 25-26 with the Friars, Coppin State and St. Francis (N.Y.)

UNH will open America East conference play on Friday, Oct. 2 as it plays host to Binghamton (7 p.m.) and continues at home with Albany on Sunday, Oct. 4 (1 p.m.).

The Wildcats hope to earn a spot in the four-team America East tournament slated for Nov. 20-21 at the site of the highest seed.

Overall, UNH will play five teams in the top 100 RPI (Albany – 53, Arizona State – 64, Northeastern – 92, UConn – 97, TCU - 100). The Wildcats have won three America East Tournament titles (1998, 2002, 2003) and three NCAA appearances in school history, all which have come under Coach Hirschinger. UNH has won 20+ matches in six of the last 12 seasons, including a school record 24 wins in 1998 and 1999. Hirschinger, who is one of just 15 active coaches to posted 600 career highs, earned her 200th career win as UNH head coach during the 2007 season.