Miami Volleyball Releases 2010 Fall Schedule
May 11, 2010
2010 University of Miami Volleyball Schedule (PDF) 
Coral Gables, Fla. – Set to begin her 10th season at the helm in Coral Gables, University of Miami head volleyball coach Nicole Lantagne Welch officially announced the Hurricanes’ 2010 fall schedule on Tuesday afternoon.
The `Canes will play 15 of their 31 regular season contests in the friendly confines of the James L. Knight Sports Complex, including 11 against ACC opponents. UM will take part in three regular season tournaments to begin the season, while also hosting the annual Miami Hurricane Invitational.
Coming off a season in which UM advanced to the NCAA Tournament [Gainesville Regional], as well as recording an 18-13 overall record (11-9 Atlantic Coast Conference); the Hurricanes will face eight teams that advanced to the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Those teams include nonconference opponents FIU, Middle Tennessee State, Oklahoma and Wichita State, as well as ACC competitors Clemson, Duke, Florida State and Georgia Tech.
Miami returns nine letterwinners from a season ago, including All-ACC performer Lane Carico. Carico led the league in the kills category throughout the regular season, finishing the campaign with 506 (4.36 kps), and ending the year as an All-American honorable mention for the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Also returning to the lineup is middle blocker Lici McGee, who finished the 2009 campaign ranked among the top 10 in the league in blocks, putting down a team-best 117 (96 assisted).
Carico is currently seventh all-time in Miami history for career kills with 875, while McGee ranks fourth all-time in solo blocks (39). McGee also sits ninth all-time in assisted blocks (161).
Added to the roster for 2011 are six incoming freshmen, a signing class that is considered to be one of the best in Miami history. During the off-season, Lantagne Welch and her staff added Julia Giampaolo, Taylor Hollins, Alexandria Johnson, Ryan Shaffer, Mariel Schofield and Emani Sims to the 2010 roster.
“The 2010 season is one that our entire program is looking forward to,” states Lantagne Welch. “We feel like we have a great schedule that will not only challenge us, but also help us to improve early and often. Most of all, it will prepare us for the postseason. We will be competing in 11 matches against NCAA teams from 2009. Not only that, but nine of those matches are against teams in the top 50 RPI. We feel like we have a great core of the team returning, combined with an excellent group of freshmen who will altogether be ready for the challenges in front of us.”
After hosting the annual Alumni Match on Aug. 21, Miami will begin the official season at the Oklahoma Tournament in Norman, Okla. The `Canes open the tournament against UT-Arlington on Fri., Aug. 27. They will follow that on Sat., Aug. 28, when playing a pair of NCAA participants from a season ago, meeting Wichita State, as well as the host Sooners.
UM opens the home season against in-state opponent Florida Atlantic on Tues., Aug. 27. Miami will then get back on the road in a four-match swing, participating in the Middle Tennessee State Tournament in Nashville. The `Canes will start the tournament with Auburn on Fri., Sept. 3, before taking on Southern Miss and Georgia Southern on Sat., Sept. 4. Miami will conclude the MTSU Tournament against the host Blue Raiders in a rematch of last year’s battle in Coral Gables, as the `Canes meet MTSU on Sun., Sept. 5. Last season, Miami defeated the Blue Raiders in the Miami/FIU Invitational in Coral Gables, but the Blue Raiders bounced back to earn a trip to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament.
The `Canes return from Tennessee to host the annual Miami Hurricane Invitational, welcoming teams from San Francisco, Bethune-Cookman and FIU, as the `Canes kickoff a six-match homestand, in addition to concluding their nonconference slate. UM begins the Hurricane Invitational Fri., Sept. 10, facing San Francisco at 6 p.m. The last time the two teams met was in 2008 as part of the Asics/Coca-Cola Classic in San Francisco. Miami defeated the Dons en route to claiming the tournament title. After facing San Francisco, Miami plays a pair of in-state opponents in Bethune-Cookman and FIU on Sat., Sept. 11.
Miami and FIU met twice last year, including the opening round of the NCAA Tournament [Gainesville Regional].
UM continues the homestand jumping into ACC play, and taking on its third-straight opponent from the Sunshine State, when meeting Florida State on Sept. 18. The `Canes then play Virginia Tech on Fri., Sept. 24, before turning their attention to Virginia on Sun., Sept. 26.
Miami opens October with back-to-back games along Tobacco Road, travelling to UNC on Fri., Oct. 1, then meeting NC State on Sun., Oct. 3. UM will return to Coral Gables on Fri., Oct. 8, playing host to Georgia Tech on Fri., Oct. 8, then taking on Clemson on Sun., Oct. 10.
UM will get back on the road Fri., Oct. 15, heading north to face Maryland, then traveling further north for a match against Boston College on Sun., Oct. 17. Upon facing the Eagles, the `Canes welcome Duke to the James L. Knight Sports Complex on Fri., Oct. 22, after that meeting Wake Forest on Sun., Oct. 24. UM wraps up the month of October with back-to-back days of action at Virginia on Fri., Oct. 29, then traveling a short distance to Virginia Tech a day later on Oct. 30.
The `Canes continue their four-match road swing to begin the month of November, meeting Clemson in South Carolina on Fri., Nov. 5, before heading south to Atlanta, squaring off against Georgia Tech on Sat., Nov. 6.
The schedule becomes favorable for Miami to end the year, where the Hurricanes will play four of their final five regular season matches at home. UM begins the home stretch with NC State on Fri., Nov. 12, then facing off against UNC on Sun., Nov. 14. The following weekend, Miami plays host to Boston College on Fri., Nov. 19, then greeting Maryland in the home regular season finale on Sun., Nov. 21.
Miami ends the regular season at ACC foe Florida State on Fri., Nov. 26 at 1 p.m.
This year’s NCAA Tournament is set to begin on Dec. 2, and will run through Dec. 5, at on-campus sites to be determined later by the NCAA selection committee. The NCAA semifinals are slated for Thurs., Dec. 16, with the championship match scheduled for Sat., Dec. 18, inside the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.
