Wolfpack Volleyball Announces 2018 Schedule

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RALEIGH, N.C. – Coming off a record-breaking campaign highlighted by the program's first NCAA Tournament victory, third-year NC State volleyball head coach Linda Hampton-Keith announced the Wolfpack's schedule for the 2018 season on Monday.

The Pack's slate features 19 matches versus teams that finished last season among the top 100 of the NCAA RPI, including 11 contests against teams ranked in the top 50.

NC State will play eight teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2017.

Additionally, the Wolfpack's non-conference schedule is highlighted by a matchup with Creighton, which finished last season ranked 14th in the RPI and 16th in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll. The Bluejays advanced to the Elite 8 in 2016, have won the Big East Conference four consecutive seasons and have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the last six years.

The Pack will play 14 home matches inside Reynolds Coliseum.

"We've put together another strong and competitive schedule with the intent of postseason play," said Hampton-Keith. "We're excited to step up to the challenges that the season will bring and it's our hope that our non-conference schedule will prepare us for the rigors of ACC play. This schedule provides us the body of work needed for inclusion in the NCAA Tournament conversation in November."

NC State opens the season at home on Friday, Aug. 24 with a tough matchup against VCU, the Atlantic 10 champion that finished last season with a 30-3 overall record. Washington State will also head to Raleigh on opening weekend and Sunday's matchup on Aug. 26 will be the first meeting between the Wolfpack and Cougars. WSU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2017 before falling to eventual National Champion Nebraska.

The Wolfpack will travel to Dallas, Texas, for its second weekend of the season for a tournament hosted by SMU. NC State begins play in the event on Aug. 31 against SMU before taking on Creighton later that day. The Pack concludes play at SMU versus Arkansas State on Sept. 1.

NC State returns to Reynolds Coliseum to play Wright State and Utah Valley on Friday, Sept. 7. It will be first meeting against Utah Valley. The Wolfpack hosts Campbell in a match on Sunday, Sept. 9.

For the second consecutive season, NC State will participate in the ACC-SEC Challenge, as Georgia Tech will host this year's event. The Wolfpack will play Arkansas in its first match of the weekend on Sept. 14 and Georgia on Sept. 15.

Hampton-Keith will battle her former head coach in NCSU's matchup versus Arkansas, as she worked under Jason Watson when he was at Arizona State.

New for this season, the ACC will play an 18-game conference schedule instead of a 20-game slate.

NC State opens league competition with a pair of home matches, as the Co-ACC Champion Louisville Cardinals head to Raleigh on Sept. 21 and Notre Dame visits on Sept. 23.

A four-match road swing follows the opening weekend of ACC action with NC State traveling to UNC-Chapel Hill (Sept. 26), Virginia Tech (Sept. 30), Florida State (Oct. 5) and Miami (Oct. 7).

NC State will square off against Virginia on Oct. 12 and Co-ACC Champion Pittsburgh on Oct. 14 with both matches held inside Reynolds Coliseum. Four consecutive road matches immediately follow with the Wolfpack heading north to Boston College on Oct. 19 and Syracuse on Oct. 21.

The Pack concludes the road trip with visits to Clemson on Oct. 26 and Georgia Tech on Oct. 28.

Fortunately, NC State will play five of its final six regular-season matches at home. The Wolfpack hosts in-state rivals Wake Forest and Duke on Nov. 2 and 4, respectively. NCSU's lone road match during the month of November is to Notre Dame on the 11th.

NC State will host UNC-Chapel Hill on Wednesday, Nov. 14. The squad returns to action the following week against Syracuse on Nov. 21 and concludes the regular season against Florida State on Friday, Nov. 23.

Season tickets are ON SALE NOW and they are adults ($50) and seniors/youth ($25).

2017 NCAA Tournament Teams on the Wolfpack's Schedule
Creighton
Florida State
Louisville
Miami
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
VCU
Washington State

2017 Conference Champions on the Wolfpack's Schedule
Creighton (Big East)
Louisville (Co-ACC)
Pittsburgh (Co-ACC)
VCU (Atlantic 10)

2018 First-time Opponents on NC State's Schedule
Creighton
Utah Valley
Washington State

North Carolina State University Athletics

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