2016 Volleyball Schedule

RUSTON, La. - Head coach Adriano de Souza and Louisiana Tech has announced the 2016 volleyball schedule, which features a total of 29 matches, including four tournaments to open the campaign.

The upcoming fall season features 10 home matches for the Lady Techsters, seven of which come against Conference USA opponents. Overall, LA Tech will play 29 matches, including 13 in league action.

LA Tech is entering its fourth season as a member of Conference USA with 13 matches slated against 12 different league foes in 2016. The C-USA Volleyball Tournament is set for Nov. 18-20 and will be hosted by Rice in Houston, Texas. The top eight teams in regular-season play advance to compete in the postseason championship.

"At the beginning of the season, our team is going to have to learn and adapt fast to playing on the road," de Souza said. "Playing four weekends away from home will force our players to learn to compete well on the road. I believe our team understands the importance of this and that developing a strong mindset for playing well and focused away from home will benefit them when we start competing in Conference USA."

The Lady Techsters open the 2016 schedule with four straight tournaments on the road, beginning with the season-opening Redhawks Invitational Friday, Aug. 26 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The Lady Techsters will face off against the University of Illinois at Chicago, New Orleans and SEMO on the opening weekend of play before traveling to Memphis, Tennessee, to compete in the Memphis Tiger Invitational Sept. 2-3. In Memphis, LA Tech is set to compete against Eastern Illinois, Jackson State and the host Tigers to wrap up the first two weeks of the season.

LA Tech returns to Ruston Sept. 7 for the team's home opener against UAPB in the Thomas Assembly Center before hitting the road once again for the third tournament of the season. From Sept. 9-10, the Lady Techsters will take on Bowling Green, Drake and Eastern Illinois in the EIU Panther Classic in Charleston, Illinois.

The Techsters will head back to the Thomas Assembly Center for a midweek matchup against Jackson State on Tuesday, Sept. 13, but then hit the road once again for the final tournament of the season at the Tulsa Volleyball Invitational Sept. 16-17. LA Tech will battle Northwestern State, Oral Roberts and Tulsa over the course of that weekend before opening league play.

"Success in Conference USA will demand a lot from our players, and they understand this," de Souza said of the league schedule. "The team has been working hard to improve our game and make the best of every conference match this year. Our players understand that better results will come as they continue to improve the way they approach their preparation for training and competition. I trust our preseason schedule will prepare us for the competitive C-USA schedule ahead of us and that our players will put their hearts into every match they compete in this year."

De Souza, now in his fifth season leading the volleyball program, and the Lady Techsters open the 2016 C-USA schedule on the road this season on Sunday, Sept. 25 at Rice before returning to the TAC for a three-match home stand, beginning with a battle against league foe WKU Friday, Sept. 30.

LA Tech will step out of conference play briefly on Tuesday, Oct. 4 to host fellow I-20 opponent ULM at 7 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center before welcoming Middle Tennessee to Ruston Oct. 7. Following a road match against UAB on Sunday, Oct. 9, the Lady Techsters head back home for the final non-conference match of the season as Grambling State is set to make the short trip to Ruston on Oct. 12.

The Lady Techsters will then play three of their next four matches on the road, starting with an Oct. 14 match versus Southern Miss in Hattiesburg. A brief return home will see the Lady Techsters host league mate Marshall on Oct. 16 before LA Tech hops on a plane for the east coast to face off against Florida Atlantic and FIU on Oct. 21 and Oct. 23, respectively.

On the last weekend of October, Louisiana Tech will host a pair of Texas foes as UTEP (Oct. 28) and UTSA (Oct. 30) at the Thomas Assembly Center before hitting the road for the last trip of the year.

LA Tech will embark on its final road trip of the regular season when the Lady Techsters travel to face league opponents Charlotte (Nov. 4) and North Texas (Nov. 6) before returning home for the final home match of the season Nov. 11 against Southern Miss in Ruston.

LA Tech returns eight letterwinners from last year's team and will see the addition of six newcomers to the 2016 squad, including five freshmen.

"Our returning players know they will have the responsibility of setting the tone from the very beginning for what they want to achieve this year," de Souza said of the 2016 squad. "Our team will be stronger by them being great examples to our incoming players of the dedication and commitment it takes to continue developing our volleyball program."

The Lady Techsters report for fall practices Sunday, Aug. 7 with the season opener scheduled three weeks later on Aug. 26 at the Southeast Missouri Redhawks Invitational in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

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