The UB Volleyball season approaches — that fun time of the year — and for the first time since 2019, the Bulls will have two home non-conference tournaments! Mark your calendars!
The Bulls will face two top 100 RPI teams, and two NCAA tournament teams. Buffalo opens the season at Alumni Arena on August 20 at 2pm, facing RPI #98 Colgate in an exhibition match. Later, the Bulls will play RPI #33 Florida Gulf Coast at Fort Myers, FL on September 16. The Eagles defeated Texas Tech 3–2 in the first round of the NCAA tournament before getting swept by eventual national champion Wisconsin in the second round.
Buffalo will also face MAC Champion Ball State on October 8, in Muncie, IN, having lost to Ball State 3–2 a year ago (after Buffalo led 14–12 in the fifth set). In the NCAA Tournament, Ball State won their first round game over Michigan before getting swept by #1 seed Louisville in the second round.
The first home tournament will be August 26–27 at Alumni Arena against Alabama-Birmingham, Xavier and Cleveland State. The following weekend, Buffalo will play at the Lehigh University tournament, facing Rider, the home team, and Cleveland State again — a double dose of Vikings. The WNY Invite tournament takes place September 8 and 9, with Buffalo facing Canisius at Koessler Athletic Center on the 8th (in spring volleyball, Buffalo defeated Canisius 4–1 and 3–0), followed by two games on the 9th at Alumni Arena against Youngstown State and Bucknell. And then Buffalo travels to Florida Gulf Coast University, facing the hosts and Florida Atlantic and St. Francis (NY).
The normal MAC schedule follows, with Buffalo playing 9 road matches and 9 home matches. At Alumni Arena, Buffalo will face Northern Illinois twice, Kent State twice, Eastern Michigan once, Central Michigan once, Bowling Green twice, and Akron once. All remaining matches are on the road. The MAC Tournament follows from November 21–24.
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