CROOKSTON, Minn.  – The University of Minnesota Crookston volleyball team officially announced their 2013 slate Friday morning. The Golden Eagles will play in three tournaments consisting of eight non-conference matches. UMC will then play a 20-game Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule in NCAA Division II's toughest conference which has produced six-time defending National Champion Concordia University, St. Paul.

UMC will open up their non-conference slate Sept. 6 and 7 at the St. Edward's and St. Mary's Invitationals. The weekend will open up at the St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas as UMC will face St. Mary's University at 11 a.m. and Central Missouri University at 5 p.m. St. Mary's, a member of the Heartland Conference, put together a 17-11 mark last season. The University of Central Missouri, a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association, went 26-7 last season en route to a berth in the NCAA Central Regional.

Sept. 7 the Golden Eagles will head to Austin, Texas for the St. Edward's Invitational. St. Edward's, a member of the Heartland Conference, went 18-10 last season. The match will commence at 11 a.m. UMC will then face Merrimack College at 5 p.m. Merrimack, out of North Andover, Mass., competes in the Northest-10 Conference and went 10-20 last season.

The second weekend of the season, the Golden Eagles will travel to the Wildcat Invitational in Marquette, Mich. UMC will open up the weekend Sept. 13 against Lake Superior State University at 1 p.m. Lake Superior State, a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, went 4-25 last season. Lake Superior State hired former Quincy University head coach Jennifer Constantino in the offseason. UMC will take on Northern Michigan University at 7 p.m. The Wildcats, also a member of the GLIAC who are hosting the tournament, went 20-12 last season. Sept. 14, UMC will take on another GLIAC member in Michigan Tech University at 1 p.m. The Huskies went 12-19 in 2012. The tournament will conclude with a match at 5 p.m. versus Quincy University, who went 14-16 in 2012. Quincy is under the leadership of new head coach Bob Crank, who was an assistant coach at University of Missouri-St. Louis.

The Golden Eagles will open up the NSIC season at University of Minnesota Duluth Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. UMD went 29-5 in 2012 and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs. Sept. 21, UMC will return home to host St. Cloud State University at 4 p.m. St. Cloud State went 25-16 in 2012.

UMC's conference season will continue with a home date against Bemidji State University Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. for Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night. Bemidji State went 4-23 last season. The Golden Eagles will head to Upper Iowa University Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. and Winona State University at 4 p.m. Sept. 28. Upper Iowa went 16-13 last season while Winona State went 20-11 during the 2012 season.

The Golden Eagles will host six-time defending National Champion Concordia University, St. Paul Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. Oct. 5 at 4 p.m., UMC will take on Minnesota State University, Mankato, who went 18-11 last season.

Oct. 11 will head to Minnesota State University, Moorhead at 7 p.m. while they will take on Northern State University on the road at 5 p.m.  Oct. 12. MSU Moorhead was 17-12 on the season. Northern State went 19-11 during the 2012 campaign.

Oct. 18, the Golden Eagles will host Minot State University at 7 p.m. Minot State was 6-24 in their first season in the NSIC. UMC will take on U-Mary Oct. 19 at 4 p.m. The Marauders went 3-24 last season.

The Golden Eagles will have a mid-week at their travel partner Bemidji State Oct. 22 for the second meeting of the season against the Beavers at 7 p.m. The Golden Eagles will head Oct. 25 to University of Sioux Falls for a 7 p.m. meeting. The Cougars went 14-16 last season. Oct. 26, UMC will face Southwest Minnesota State University at 3 p.m., who was a 2012 NCAA Tournament participant and co-NSIC Champion. SMSU was 30-3 last season.

UMC will host Wayne State College Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. and Augustana College (S.D.) at 3 p.m. Wayne State went 22-10 last year while Augustana was 17-13.

Nov. 8, the Golden Eagles head to face Minnesota State for the second time on the season this time in Mankato at 7 p.m. Nov. 9, UMC faces Concordia-St. Paul at 4 p.m. in St. Paul, Minn.

The season will conclude Nov. 15 with their second match of the season versus Winona State University, this time at Lysaker Gymnasium at 7 p.m. for Parent's Night. Nov. 16, UMC faces Upper Iowa University for Senior Night at 4 p.m.

The Golden Eagles return 11 players from last season's squad and will have a large freshman class coming in to supplement an already experienced squad. Six starters return for the Golden Eagles led by All-NSIC pick Brittany Looker (Jr., OH, Rochester, Minn.), who averaged 2.69 kills per set and libero Chelsea Wiesner (Sr., Rochester, Minn.), who is chasing the school's all-time digs mark. The Golden Eagles will be led by a large senior class that includes six student-athletes including Wiesner, Lindsey Rees (Sr., S, Bronson, Mich.), Paige Mitchell (Sr., S, West Palm Beach, Fla.), Alyssa Schneider (Sr., MH, Racine, Wis.), Katie Miedtke (Sr., MH, Maple Grove, Minn.) and Alexandra Skeeter (Sr., OH, Milwaukee, Wis.). UMC had an overall mark of 11-16 last season.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics.

The University of Minnesota, Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).
                                       

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