Albany, Ga.- The Albany State Women's Volleyball program has released its 2014 schedule. The slate is filled with tough non-conference competition and challenging league foes. The Lady Rams have been chosen to win the SIAC East Division title, despite a disappointing 2013 campaign.
"After a fourth place finish last season and losing two all-conference players, we are surprised we were selected as the team to beat in the East," head coach Robert Skinner said.
Last year's team finished with a 17-14 record but failed to make the SIAC championship game for the first time since 1999. The Lady Rams also lost four seniors, including All-SIAC selections Jillian Anderson and Ashley Johnson.
"We have a young team full of inexperience, but they have a lot of heart and desire to achieve the goals we set for ourselves," Skinner continued. "This stands to be a promising season regardless of the record."
Albany State will open the 2014 season on September 5th in a doubleheader at Valdosta State University. The Lady Rams will face Lynn University at 1 p.m. and VSU at 5 p.m. On September 15th, the team will travel to Huntsville, Alabama to battle Division I Alabama A&M University.
ASU opens SIAC play September 18th-20th during the 2014 SIAC Crossover Tournament, which will be hosted by Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia. The Lady Rams will face all seven teams from the conference's West Division during the three-day affair. They will open the tournament against defending SIAC champion Kentucky State University on the first day of action.
After road contests with Paine College (September 25th) and Benedict College (October 1st), Albany State will host its first home match against Clark Atlanta University on October 7th. The Lady Rams' home schedule will continue with rematches with Paine (October 9th) and Benedict (October 11th).
ASU will also take on two Division II opponents from the Southeast Region. The Lady Rams will face Armstrong Atlantic University on October 14th in Savannah, Georgia. On October 17th, the Lady Rams will travel to Columbus, Georgia where they will play Columbus State University. Albany State will return home on October 20th to battle its storied arch-rival Fort Valley State in an SIAC match-up.
The Lady Rams return to the road on October 23rd when they face Claflin University. That game will be followed with a match on October 28th against Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. ASU will host a rematch with Claflin on November 1st before heading to Fort Valley State on November 3rd for another rematch.
