May 20, 2008
San Antonio – St. Mary’s University volleyball coach Todd Caughlin announced on Tuesday a 29-match schedule for the 2008 season, which includes 18 home matches and two home tournaments.
As always the Rattlers will start the 2008 season with the St. Mary’s/Texas MedClinic Invitational on August 28-30 in Bill Greehey Arena. Included in the tournament will be Missouri Southern State University, Eastern New Mexico University, Rollins College and Augustana College. The Rattlers finished third at the tournament in 2007 and were the runners-up in 2006.
On Sept. 12-13 the Rattlers will host one of the top early season tournaments in the region: the Texas MedClinic Regional Crossover Tournament. The tournament will feature teams from the Heartland Conference and Lone Star Conference. St. Mary’s will face West Texas A&M University, who advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals last season, in the first match. They will also face Cameron University and Abilene Christian University, both of whom advanced to the LSC Tournament semifinals last season.
The Rattlers will open Heartland Conference play on the road when they travel to Goodwell, Okla., to face Oklahoma Panhandle State University on Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. They will complete their two-game northern swing with a match against Newman on Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. St. Mary’s will return home on Sept. 25 to start a eight-match homestand against Heartland Conference foe St. Edward’s University at 7 p.m.
St. Mary’s will celebrate senior night on Oct. 31 when they host regional rival Texas A&M University-Kingsville at 7 p.m. The Rattlers final home match of the season will be on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. against Tarleton State University. The Rattlers will wrap up the 2008 regular season on Nov. 8 when they travel to Odessa to face Texas-Permian Basin. The Heartland Conference Tournament will take place on Nov. 13-15 at a site to be determined.
The Rattlers finished the 2007 season with a 14-17 overall record and a 7-7 mark in the Heartland Conference. Samantha Weber (Sr., Fort Lupton, Colo.), Kori McCarver (Fr., San Antonio) and Courtney Matula (Sr., San Antonio) were all named All-Heartland Conference last season. St. Mary’s has already signed five players to join the team for 2008. They will also face Texas A&M-International University, University of the Incarnate Word, Dallas Baptist University and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin on the homestand.