May 15, 2007

CHAPEL HILL --- The University of North Carolina volleyball team will open its 2007 campaign on August 24 in Buffalo, N.Y., against Stony Brook University, head coach Joe Sagula announced Tuesday. The opener will be the earliest in school history and will kick off a 31-match schedule that features four opponents that reached the NCAA Tournament last season.

After opening against Stony Brook, UNC will face Baylor and tournament-host Buffalo. The Bulls are coached by former Carolina assistant Jim Lodes. The weekend in Buffalo will be a homecoming for junior setter Stephanie Jansma, a native of Lancaster, N.Y.

The following weekend will see the Tar Heels travel to West Lafayette, Ind., for the Purdue Mortar Board Classic. Carolina will play 2006 NCAA squads Utah and Purdue as well Atlantic-10 runner-up Dayton, in what will be a homecoming for Carmel, Ind., native Megan Owens.

"As always, we are excited to have put together an extremely competitive non-conference schedule," Sagula said. "We will be part of the inaugural University at Buffalo tournament to open the season, which will be a nice homecoming for Stephanie Jansma as well as a chance to see coach Jim Lodes and Tucker Short, our former volunteer assistant. At the Purdue tournament, we will face three outstanding programs in Utah, Purdue and Dayton at the Purdue tournament."

UNC will close the non-conference portion of its schedule with the annual UNC Volleyball Classic Sept. 7-8. The Tar Heels will welcome Villanova, Western Kentucky and 2006 Patriot League champion American to Carmichael Auditorium.

"Our home tournament will once again provide an exciting start to our home schedule and give our fans a chance to see some great volleyball," Sagula said.

The Tar Heels will open Atlantic Coast Conference play on Sept. 14 at NC State. For the third year in a row, the ACC will not have a year-end tournament. Instead the league features a double round robin schedule, with each of the 12 teams playing a full 22-game slate.

"With this being the third year of the double round robin format in the ACC, we look forward to another season of great league competition," Sagula said. "Knowing that there is no tournament at the end of the season, every team will be that much more focused on each regular season match."

Carolina will have a season-long five-match homestand from Oct. 30 to Nov. 10 before closing its schedule with a four-match road trip that ends Thanksgiving weekend at Miami and Florida State.