2019 SUFFOLK VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE
BOSTON – Coming off the furthest postseason push in program history, the Suffolk volleyball team has a challenging 30-match slate ahead in 2019 head coach Scott Blanchard announced Monday morning. The Rams slate features the Babson College Invitational, a pair of 2018 NCAA Division III Championship participants and 12 home matches at the Michael E. and Larry S. Smith Court.
The two-a-day preseason precedes the Babson Invitational where the blue-and-gold will face Maine Presque Isle, Manhattanville and Babson August 30-31.
Suffolk stays on the road the first weekend of September for a tri-match at Colby featuring Salem State Saturday, Sept. 7.
Ram Nation will get its first glimpse of the 24th edition of Suffolk volleyball on Tuesday, Sept 10 when the Rams battle their Boston Commons neighbor Emerson with Lesley set to stop by Beacon Hill two days later (Sept. 12).
The home court advantages preps for the chase for GNAC glory as the conference calendar commences Saturday, Sept. 14 with a tri-match at ALbertus Magnus with Lasell making the trip to New Haven, Connecticut as well.
Mid-week matches against Gordon (Sept. 17) and Salem State (Sept. 19) serve as opening acts before the first home tri of the season, which is set for Saturday, Sept. 19 with Salem State and Mass. Maritime.
A Tuesday, Sept. 24 tilt at Wentworth breaks up a homestretch that continues with SUfolk's Lace Up for Pediatric Cancer event on Saturday, Sept. 28 that has Western New England and Norwich visiting title town for play for a cause contests.
October opens Tuesday, Oct. 1 with a tangle against Becker inside the friendly confines of the Ridgway Building with a league road trip on the docket to Colby Sawyer October 5. The Saturday showdown with the Chargers also pits the Rams against Emmanuel.
Four-time reigning conference champion Johnson & Wales stops by Suffolk Wednesday, Oct. 9 with away tilts at Anna Maria (Oct. 12), WPI (Oct. 15) and a tri-match at Keene State with UMass Dartmouth (Oct. 19) following.
See-saw, home and away action is up next with Regis paying the Rams a visit Wednesday, Oct. 23 before the blue-and-gold buses to Saint Joseph (Conn.) Oct. 26 for a league tri with RIvier.
Suffolk steps away from conference action Tuesday, Oct. 29 at Rhode Island COllege and caps off the regular-season schedule in front of its home crowd Saturday, Nov. 2 against Saint JOseph's (Maine) and Simmons.
Blanchard begins his second season at Suffolk and looks to build on a 12-17 campaign from a year ago that saw the Rams advance to the conference semifinals for the first time in program history after posting the most league victories (7-5) since 2005.
With the departure of the seven-member Class of 2019, which included the program's all-time aces leader in Talia Lombardo, the Rams will rely upon juniors Kayla Barbera (2.54 dps, 2.09 kps, 0.39 aces per set) and Hannah Fabiano (2.16 kps, 1.02 dps) and senior Sarah Mullahy (0.39 bps, 0.94 kps) to lead the way.