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July 28, 2009

Durham, N.C. - The North Carolina Central University volleyball program and head coach Georgette Crawford-Crooks announced the 2009 schedule on Tuesday, which features five tournaments and five home matches. The schedule is highlighted with matches against some tough Division I opponents.

"We have a tough schedule ahead of us this season, but we are working hard and preparing for the competition," said Crawford-Crooks. "Many of this year's opponents were on our schedule last year, so we are familiar with their style of play. We will be able to match up with many of them and we are looking forward to the challenge."

NCCU will kick the season off as the host of the Hilton RTP/NCCU Volleyball Tournament, which is the first of five tournaments the Eagles will compete in this season. The tournament will take place Aug. 28-29 in the McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium. High Point, Georgia State, The Citadel and Elon will face the Eagles over the weekend and are just four of the eight teams that will battle in the tournament. South Carolina State, UNC Asheville and UNC Wilmington conclude the tournament field.

The Eagles will spend most of the month of September on the road with three consecutive road trips. They open the month with a trip to Charlottesville, Va., where they will compete in the Holiday Inn Jefferson Cup. The tournament is hosted by the University of Virginia and will take place Sept. 4-5. NCCU will battle Virginia, Campbell and VCU during their time in Charlottesville.

Following the trip to Charlottesville, the Eagles will head to Rock Hill, S.C. for the Hilton Garden Inn Invitational, which will take place Sept. 11-12 on the campus of Winthrop University. Five teams will take part in the two-day event with the Eagles facing Butler, Morgan State and Winthrop. Appalachian State will also be at the tournament, but NCCU will not face them.

The Eagles will head to Orangeburg, S.C. during the weekend of Sept. 18-19 for their last trip of the month. They will participate in the South Carolina State Spikefest hosted by South Carolina State University. Alabama State, Charleston Southern, The Citadel, Hampton, NCCU, Providence, South Carolina State, UNC Asheville, Winston-Salem State and Wofford will make up the tournament field. The Eagles will face The Citadel and Charleston Southern on Friday, followed by South Carolina State and Alabama State on Saturday.

NCCU will take a break from the road and will take a short break from the tournament scene. The Eagles will host the Howard Bison on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. before hosting their final tournament of the season.

During the weekend of Sept. 25-26, the Eagles will host the NCCU Volleyball Tournament. Making up the tournament field are Delaware State, Hampton, North Carolina A&T State, SIU-Edwardsville and Winston-Salem State. NCCU will battle SIU-Edwardsville and Hampton on Friday, followed by Delaware State and North Carolina A&T State on Saturday.

After five straight tournaments, the Eagles head into regular season play. Before heading into October, the Eagles will conclude the month of September with a home match against Campbell. The Eagles and the Camels will battle on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. in Durham, N.C.

October will be hectic for the Eagles, playing six games on the road and only two in the confines of McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium. NCCU kicks the month off with a two-match trip to Virginia. They will face the Spartans of Norfolk State on Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. before facing the Pirates of Hampton on Oct. 4 at 4 p.m.

The Eagles will take a short trip back home to host the Coppin State Eagles on Oct. 6 before hitting the road once again. On Oct. 13, the Eagles will head to Radford, Va. to face the Radford Highlanders before heading back to Durham, N.C. to host George Washington on Oct. 16.

After the Colonials visit the McLendon-McDougald Gym, the Eagles will get into the bulk of their road matches. They will face a five-match road trip before closing the season out at home. The Eagles will visit the Aggies of North Carolina A&T State on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. in Greensboro, N.C. before heading to the North Carolina coast, where they will battle the Seahawks of UNC Wilmington on Oct. 23.

A trip to Wilmington will be followed by a trip back down the road to Greensboro. The Eagles will conclude the month of October with a match against Southern Conference member UNC Greensboro on Oct. 27 at 6 p.m.

During the month of November, the Eagles will finish up their five-match road stint. They will head up north for their longest trips of the season. On Nov. 13, NCCU will compete against Delaware State at 7 p.m. in Dover, Del. On their way back to Durham, the Eagles will make a pit stop in Princess Anne, Md., where they will face the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 14 at 2 p.m.

The Eagles will return to Durham, N.C. to conclude the 2009 season with a match-up against rival North Carolina A&T State on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. That match will also be designated as Senior Night, where the Eagles will honor their 2009 senior class.

"We are excited about facing North Carolina A&T in our last game of the season," said Crawford-Crooks. "It will be an exciting game for the fans to watch and for our seniors to leave out on because of the strong rivalry. I am excited about this upcoming season and I am looking forward to what lies ahead."

For more information on Eagle Volleyball, visit the official website of NCCU Athletics at www.NCCUEaglePride.com.