Entering a new existence in a new conference, the Pacific women's volleyball team has set its lineup of games for 2013 as the Tigers have released their 2013 schedule. For the first time in nearly 30 years, the Pacific women's volleyball team will call a conference other than the Big West home as the Tigers join the West Coast Conference (WCC) to face a whole new set of opponents and challenges.
For the first two weeks of the season the Tigers spend their time on the road as Pacific heads across the country to open 2013 with a trip to Blacksburg, Vir. to take part in the Virginia Tech Invitational. At the tournament, Pacific will take on four teams as the Tigers play twice on the opening day of the invitational, Aug. 30, against both St. Francis (PA) and the host Hokies of Virginia Tech. On day two, the Tigers take on Towson and Michigan State, a team that was a round of 16 NCAA Tournament team in 2012.
After a quick trip to Stanford to take on the always dangerous Cardinal on Sept. 4, the Tigers head north to take part in the Portland State Tournament. The Tigers first trip to Portland in 2013 will see Pacific face off against Oklahoma, Utah State and Portland State. Oklahoma enters 2013 after a trip to the NCAA Second Round in 2012 as the two teams will face off for the first time since the 1998 season.
With their extended road trip to start the season over, Pacific comes home for the first time in the new year to host its annual Community Bankers Classic on Sept. 13-14. The 35th addition of the Tigers' home tournament will feature a four-team round robin format as Pacific welcomes to the Alex G. Spanos Center; UC Riverside, Winthrop, and San Jose State. For the first time, the Tigers will take on the Highlanders as non-conference foes after spending the last 12 years as Big West adversaries.
At the completion of the Bankers Classic, the Tigers will jump into conference play as the newest members of the WCC. Facing a new set of challengers, Pacific will face competition the likes it has not seen in a decade in the Big West as the WCC enters 2013 with six teams coming off of NCAA tournament berths in 2012. Pacific begins its trek through its new home conference on Thursday, Sept. 19 at home in the Spanos Center as the Tigers take on Gonzaga at 7:00 pm. Two days later, the Tigers return to their home court to face Portland at 1:00 pm as all WCC weekends consist of contests on Thursday nights and Saturday afternoons as opposed to the Big West's Friday-Saturday night format.
On Sept. 26, the Tigers hit the road for their first WCC road trip as Pacific heads to San Diego to take on the Toreros in the first of six-straight matches against 2012 NCAA Tournament participants and WCC foes. Pacific's opening road trip in WCC play also pits the Tigers' against the 2012 co-champions of the WCC as San Diego and BYU finished last season tied at 13-3 in conference action.
Playing home and home series with all nine WCC teams, the Tigers will complete their home schedule on Saturday, November 16 against Santa Clara at 1:00 pm while finishing their regular season on the road at Portland and Gonzaga, the finale coming on Saturday, November 23 at 12:00 pm in Spokane, Wash.
Looking to make their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2004, the Tigers will look to play in the tournament's first two rounds of action beginning on Dec. 5-7 at campus sites throughout the country. The second weekend of play begins Dec. 12-14 while the NCAA Championships will take place Dec. 19-21 in Seattle, Wash.
2013 Pacific Women's Volleyball Schedule