KUTZTOWN, PA (June 24, 2010) -- The Kutztown University volleyball team will play 29 regular season matches, according to the 2010 schedule released on Thursday. The 2010 slate is highlighted by 10 home matches and a pair of in-season tournaments including the annual Kutztown Classic on Friday and Saturday September 3 & 4. (CLICK FOR COMPLETE 2010 SCHEDULE)
Head coach John Gump enters his 14th year at the helm of the Golden Bears, who will look to advance to the PSAC playoffs. Kutztown ended last season with a 16-14 record and finished second in East standings, which earned the Golden Bears a home playoff game.
Kutztown will be busy to begin the season. The Golden Bears will begin a much-anticipated season by hosting the annual Kutztown Classic. The Golden Bears welcome C.W. Post, College of Saint Rose, West Chester and LeMoyne to Keystone Arena.
Kutztown will play its home opener against LeMoyne on Friday, September 3 at 4:30 p.m. Following a pair of home matches against Saint Rose and C.W. Post on Saturday, September 4, the Golden Bears will not return home for 17 days. The Golden Bears will compete in the Werst Chester University Ram Fest against Post, NYIT, Chestnut Hill and Barton on the weekend of Friday & Saturday, September 10 & 11.
Cheyney will host the PSAC crossover weekend at Cope Hall on Friday & Saturday September 17 & 18. The Golden Bears will play Penn State-Berks on Monday, September 20, in the annual Shannon Sullivan Memorial Game at Pine Grove High School. The Golden Bears will play home and home matches against PSAC East foes East Stroudsburg, Millersville, West Chester, Cheyney, Lock Haven and Shippensburg.
Kutztown will spend the weekend of Friday & Saturday October 8 & 9 in the western part of the state visiting Clarion and Slippery Rock. The Golden Bears' final home game will be against Cheyney on Saturday, October 23 starting at noon. Kutztown concludes the regular season on Saturday, November 6 at Lock Haven. The PSAC quarterfinals begin on Tuesday, November 9 and the semifinals and championships will be the weekend of Friday & Saturday, November 12 & 13 at the highest remaining seed in the West.
Senior Jamie Celia is one of several key members from last year's team returning. She was a second-team all-PSAC selection last year. She enters the season needing 11 service aces to surpass Nicole Buisco to become the program's all-time leader in that category. Celia is also fourth all-time with 1,021 digs. Senior Lindsay Confer is seventh on the KU volleyball all-time list with 821 kills.
