The following is a press release courtesy of Iowa State athletics communications. Photo also courtesy of Iowa State athletics communications.
AMES, Iowa – Another challenging slate of matches awaits the Iowa State volleyball team in 2017 as head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch announced the Cyclones’ schedule for the upcoming season Wednesday. ISU’s schedule features 13 home matches, which includes visits to Hilton Coliseum by six 2016 NCAA Volleyball Championship squads and a non-conference home tournament to open the season.
For the fourth-straight season, Iowa State will begin the season at Hilton Coliseum, this year with the Cyclone Invitational. The Cyclones’ season begins on Friday, Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m. against Kent State. ISU will then host a doubleheader the next day, Aug. 26, against Omaha (noon) and New Mexico.
ISU then heads on the road for two-straight tournament. Iowa State opens its road slate against a pair of NCAA Tournament teams at the Dayton Invitational in hosts Dayton (Sept. 1, 7 p.m.) and Pittsburgh (Sept. 2, 1:30 p.m.). The Cyclones then head to Iowa City for the Iowa Invitational, which will feature the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk meeting against the host Hawkeyes (Sept. 8, 7 p.m.). The rest of the schedule will be announced at a later date.
The Cyclones return home on Tuesday, Sept. 12, for the yearly meeting against UNI. Last year’s match in Cedar Falls was the longest match of the season in the NCAA and second-longest under the current scoring format. The Panthers made it to the NCAA Volleyball Championship for the second-straight season last year.
The Cyclones’ final non-conference tournament will be at Wichita State on Sept. 15-17. The tournament schedule will be announced at a later date, with the host Shockers having won the Missouri Valley last season and are beginning a new era in the American Athletic Conference in 2017.
Big 12 play opens up for ISU on Sept. 23 at Hilton Coliseum against Oklahoma at 4 p.m. The Cyclones’ first Big 12 road test will come on Wednesday, Sept. 27 against defending Big 12 champion Kansas. The month of October is loaded with home matches, but many challenges. ISU’s eight matches in October feature seven against NCAA Tournament teams from last season. Among the notable October matches are ISU’s match at 2016 NCAA National Runner-Up Texas (Oct. 14, TBA), Cyclone Family Weekend’s match against TCU (Oct. 21, 1 p.m.) and the home match against Kansas (Oct. 28, TBA).
In November, Iowa State will host Texas on Nov. 11, the same weekend as in 2016 when the Cyclones knocked off the then-No. 5 Longhorns in five sets at Hilton. Iowa State closes out the home schedule and regular season on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. against Texas Tech, a match which will also serve as Senior Night.
The NCAA Volleyball Championship First and Second Rounds will be Nov. 30-Dec. 2 on campus sites, with the Regional Rounds on Dec. 8-9 also on campus sites. The Sprint Center in Kansas City will be the host of the NCAA Volleyball Championship on Dec. 14 and 16.
All times listed on the full schedule, below, are central time and are subject to change.
Season ticket prices and information will be released at a later date.
2017 Iowa State Volleyball Schedule
Home matches in BOLD, Times Subject to Change All Times Central
Cyclone Invitational (Ames, Iowa)
Aug. 25 – Kent State, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 26 – Omaha, Noon
Aug. 26 – New Mexico, 6:30 p.m.
Dayton Invitational (Dayton, Ohio)
Sept. 1 – Dayton, 7 p.m.
Sept. 2 – Pittsburgh, 1:30 p.m.
Iowa Invitational (Iowa City, Iowa)
Sept. 8 – Iowa (Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series), 7 p.m.
Sept. 9 – TBA
Sept. 12 – UNI, 6:30 p.m.
Wichita State Tournament (Wichita, Kan.)
Sept. 15-17 – TBA
Sept. 23 – Oklahoma, 4 p.m.
Sept. 27 – Kansas, TBA
Sept. 29 – Texas Tech, 6 p.m.
Oct. 4 – Baylor, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 11 – Kansas State, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 14 – Texas, TBA
Oct. 18 – West Virginia, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 21 – TCU (Family Weekend), 1 p.m.
Oct. 25 – Kansas State, 7 p.m.
Oct. 28 – Kansas, TBA
Oct. 30 – North Dakota, 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 4 – Baylor, TBA
Nov. 8 – West Virginia, 5 p.m.
Nov. 11 – Texas, TBA
Nov. 15 – Oklahoma, 7 p.m.
Nov. 18 – TCU, TBA
Nov. 25 – Texas Tech, 2 p.m.
