FRISCO, Texas -- Following the postponement of fall sports earlier this August due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southland Conference officially released a revised strategy for a women's indoor volleyball season set in the spring semester, per a Monday afternoon
release from the league office.
According to the conference's updated plan, the only major departure from the usual fall season (outside the start date) is the loss of four matches, as the league's 13 programs are scheduled to clash in a 12-contest round-robin slate as opposed to the previously utilized 16-match system. Competition will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 2 and wrap up just under two months later on Saturday, March 27; the top-seeded team will then play host to a four-squad, single-elimination Southland Conference Tournament the following weekend, April 2-3, in a half-sized version of the league's traditional eight-program battle royale.
The Colonels are also currently exploring non-conference opportunities beginning as early as Friday, Jan. 22.
"With all the time, effort and commitment these student-athletes put into competing at the DI level, I'm thrilled to officially have a conference schedule to look forward to and prepare for," head women's volleyball coach
Kallie Noble said. "Each and every one of these girls has been working hard throughout the fall with a spring season in mind, and I honestly believe they'll be itching to get back out on the court and compete come February."
On Aug. 12, Southland presidents approved the postponement of league women's soccer and other fall sports to the spring semester, and later agreed on an opt-out opportunity with the spring plan. The conference office officially announced the revised football slate two weeks ago (Sept. 22) and women's soccer last week (Sept. 29), and other spring schedules for the remaining fall sports will be announced in the near future.
The spring 2021 SLC schedule features an even six home and six road contests for the Colonels, as the program shifts focus back to the completing the resurgent effort generated by second-year head coach
Kallie Noble during her first season at the helm. At Stopher Gym in Thibodaux, La., the Red & Gray will host New Orleans (Feb. 4) in the league opener, HBU (Feb. 11), defending champion Stephen F. Austin (March 11), Lamar (March 13), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (March 18) and Sam Houston State (March 20).
Road matches include at McNeese (Feb. 6), rival Southeastern Louisiana (Feb. 9), Abilene Christian (Feb. 25), UIW (Feb. 27), Central Arkansas (March 25) and Northwestern State (March 27). Notably, each of the regular season matchups has a certain degree of flexibility built in, as head coaches can adjust dates with mutual agreement between both teams.
Further, it should be noted that undertaking this schedule will be contingent upon current health conditions in each university community, following the guidance from the NCAA and local medical authorities. Game management details, ticketing and attendance matters, media and broadcast issues and other operational details will be determined by the Southland and the host institutions.
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2021 Southland Conference Spring Women's Indoor Volleyball Schedule
Tuesday, Feb. 2
New Orleans at Lamar
Thursday, Feb. 4
Abilene Christian at UIW
Central Arkansas at Houston Baptist
Southeastern Louisiana at McNeese
New Orleans at Nicholls
Northwestern State at Sam Houston State
Stephen F. Austin at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Saturday, Feb. 6
Abilene Christian at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Central Arkansas at Sam Houston State
Northwestern State at Houston Baptist
Stephen F. Austin at UIW
Southeastern Louisiana at Lamar
Nicholls at McNeese
Tuesday, Feb. 9
Nicholls at Southeastern Louisiana
Thursday, Feb. 11
McNeese at Abilene Christian
UIW at Central Arkansas
Houston Baptist at Nicholls
Lamar at Stephen F. Austin
Sam Houston State at New Orleans
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Northwestern State
Saturday, Feb. 13
Lamar at Abilene Christian
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Central Arkansas
Houston Baptist at New Orleans
UIW at Northwestern State
McNeese at Stephen F. Austin
Sam Houston State at Southeastern Louisiana
Tuesday, Feb. 23
Central Arkansas at McNeese
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at UIW
Northwestern State at Lamar
Thursday, Feb. 25
Nicholls at Abilene Christian
Sam Houston State at Houston Baptist
New Orleans at Stephen F. Austin
Southeastern Louisiana at Northwestern State
Saturday, Feb. 27
Stephen F. Austin at Abilene Christian
New Orleans at Central Arkansas
McNeese at Houston Baptist
Nicholls at UIW
Sam Houston State at Lamar
Southeastern Louisiana at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Tuesday, March 2
Central Arkansas at Northwestern State
New Orleans at McNeese
Thursday, March 4
Lamar at Central Arkansas
UIW at Houston Baptist
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Sam Houston State
Saturday, March 6
Houston Baptist at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
UIW at Sam Houston State
Northwestern State at McNeese
Thursday, March 11
Abilene Christian at Southeastern Louisiana
Stephen F. Austin at Nicholls
Saturday, March 13
Abilene Christian at New Orleans
Lamar at Nicholls
Stephen F. Austin at Southeastern Louisiana
Tuesday, March 16
McNeese at Lamar
Thursday, March 18
Northwestern State at Abilene Christian
Central Arkansas at Stephen F. Austin
Houston Baptist at Southeastern Louisiana
UIW at New Orleans
Sam Houston State at McNeese
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Nicholls
Saturday, March 20
Central Arkansas at Abilene Christian
Houston Baptist at Lamar
UIW at Southeastern Louisiana
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at New Orleans
Sam Houston State at Nicholls
Northwestern State at Stephen F. Austin
Tuesday, March 23
Abilene Christian at Houston Baptist
Southeastern Louisiana at New Orleans
Thursday, March 25
Nicholls at Central Arkansas
Lamar at UIW
McNeese at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
New Orleans at Northwestern State
Stephen F. Austin at Sam Houston State
Saturday, March 27
Abilene Christian at Sam Houston State
Southeastern Louisiana at Central Arkansas
Houston Baptist at Stephen F. Austin
McNeese at UIW
Lamar at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Nicholls at Northwestern State
Friday-Saturday, April 2-3
2020 Southland Conference Tournament
Hosted by top-seeded team in regular season
**Schedule subject to change
-- #GeauxColonels --
