Gromala Reveals 2019 Volleyball Schedule
6/11/2019 3:46:00โฏPM | Women's Volleyball
KENT, Ohio โ Kent State volleyball head coachย Don Gromalaย announced the team's 2019 schedule on Tuesday.
The Golden Flashes' 28-match regular season slate features 12 home matches at the M.A.C. Center and weekend tournaments hosted by Charlotte and Army West Point.
Fans will have two opportunities to see Kent State in action during the preseason, with an exhibition match against Division II Findlay on Tuesday, Aug. 20 and the Blue and Gold Scrimmage scheduled for Friday, Aug. 23.
The regular season begins with a trip to Charlotte, allowing senior middle blocker Myla King an opportunity to play in front of family and friends. The Flashes will play twice on Friday, Aug. 30 with a 12 p.m. contest against Eastern Kentucky and a matchup with the host 49ers at 6 p.m. The opening weekend concludes against Gardner-Webb at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31.
Kent State then heads back to the M.A.C. Center for the annual Golden Flashes Classic the following weekend. The Flashes will play Valparaiso in the home opener at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6. The Crusaders are coming off a 25-win season and a trip to the NIVC quarterfinals. Matches against Idaho State and Robert Morris will bring the home tournament to a close on Saturday, Sept. 7.
"We're thrilled about the opportunity to have our young and energetic group play in front of our fans early in this season's schedule," Gromala said. "We really want to get comfortable playing at home and build some momentum before we begin conference play."
A stretch of five straight matches on the road begins at Youngstown State on Tuesday, Sept. 10. The Flashes will compete the following weekend (Sept. 13-14) at Army West Point, where they will also play Binghamton and Northeast Conference Tournament champion Bryant.
The Flashes will co-host the Cleveland Challenge on the final non-conference weekend, traveling to Cleveland State for a 7 p.m. match on Friday, Sept. 20 and then hosting Niagara on Saturday, Sept. 21 with first serve scheduled for 1 p.m. Kent State defeated both opponents last year and claimed Northeast Ohio supremacy with a 4-0 combined record against the Vikings, Youngstown State and Akron.
The always-challenging Mid-American Conference schedule opens with three home matches. The Flashes will host defending co-regular season champions Miami (Sept. 27) and Bowling Green (Sept. 28) on the opening weekend of league play and then host Ohio on Thursday, Oct. 3.
Eight of the next 10 matches will be on the road, beginning with contests at Central Michigan (Oct. 5), Buffalo (Oct. 11) and Akron (Oct. 12). Following home dates against Toledo (Oct. 18) and Ball State (Oct. 19), Kent State will play five straight on the road.
"The MAC schedule is always a grind, and we will definitely get tested right away against the defending conference co-champions and a traditionally-strong Ohio team," added Gromala. "The five-match road trip in the middle of conference play will also be a crucial point of the season."
The regular season will come to an end with three matches at the M.A.C. Center. The Flashes will play Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Nov. 9 and remain at home the following weekend to play Akron (Nov. 15) and Buffalo (Nov. 16).
The 2019 MAC Volleyball Championship will be held Nov. 21-24 at the Stroh Center on the campus of Bowling Green State University.
Kent State returns nine letterwinners from last year's team that won eight more games than the previous season. Erin Gardner and Melissa Kolurbasi were selected to the MAC All-Freshman Team, while classmates Alex Haffner and Danie Tyson started nearly every match for the Flashes.
Be sure to follow the Kent State volleyball team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the team.
