Volleyball Releases 2022 Schedule
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) volleyball team and second-year head coach Sheila Gisbrecht have announced the schedule for the upcoming 2022 season. Highlighting the Blue Jays' 27-match regular-season slate are 11 home matches which are set to be played in the new-look O'Connell Center that was constructed and completed in May of 2021.
The Blue Jays open up the 2022 campaign with a non-conference road match and travel to Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) opponent Framingham State on Thursday, September 1 at 7:00 p.m. Then, on opening weekend, USJ hosts its first of three home tri-matches scheduled on the 2022 docket. The Blue Jays will welcome non-conference opponents Mount Holyoke College and Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday, September 3 for their home-opening matches.
Following the home-opening tri-match, it's back on the road for the Blue Jays for a pair of midweek non-conference tilts in Connecticut. USJ will first make the short trip down the road to crosstown foe Trinity College of the New England Small College Athletic Conference on Tuesday, September 6 before traveling down to New London for a meeting with New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) opponent Mitchell College on Thursday, September 8.
Saint Joseph then returns back to West Hartford on Saturday, September 10 to host non-conference challenger Westfield State University of the MASCAC before traveling to Commonwealth Coast Conference adversary Western New England University on Tuesday, September 13.
That sets the table for USJ's trip to Utica, N.Y. to contest in the SUNY Poly Invitational September 16-17. The Blue Jays will open the two-day tournament on Friday evening versus host institution SUNY Poly before taking on Wells College and Hilbert College on Saturday.
USJ will then return back to West Hartford for its longest homestand of the season with four matches at home in a week span. The Blue Jays first host non-conference and intrastate foe Connecticut College on Wednesday, September 21 at 7:00 p.m. before kicking off Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play with a tri-match on Saturday, September 24. The Blue Jays start the conference slate off versus Anna Maria College in their morning match before taking on Lasell University in their afternoon match. Concluding the homestand is a midweek non-conference match versus Bay Path of the NECC on Tuesday, September 27.
GNAC play begins to ramp up for the Blue Jays as they conclude the month of September. USJ wraps up its opening month of play with a road tri-match at Norwich University on Friday, September 30. While in Northfield, Vt. on Friday evening, USJ will contest against both Norwich and Dean College.
When the calendar flips over to October, Saint Joseph continues conference play on the road. It will first travel to GNAC counterpart Elms College on Wednesday, October 5 before making a trip up to New London, N.H. to take on Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday, October 8.
Volleyball then returns home on Tuesday, October 11 for a midweek non-conference match versus Western Connecticut State University ahead of making its first of two trips to the Boston area on the season to take on GNAC opponent Emmanuel College on Thursday, October 13. USJ then has the weekend off to prepare for one of its toughest opponents on the docket in Johnson & Wales University. The two teams will meet on Wednesday, October 19 at 7:00 p.m.
The Blue Jays' next four games are on the road. They will first make the trek up to Saint Joseph's College of Maine for a tri-match with the Monks and Rivier University on Saturday, October 22. Then, it's back to the Boston area on Tuesday, October 25 to take on Regis College before USJ's final non-conference fixture at Fitchburg State University on Thursday, October 27.
Rounding out the 2022 regular-season schedule is a home tri-match for the Blue Jays on Saturday, October 29. USJ will welcome GNAC and intrastate rival Albertus Magnus College as well as Simmons University for its final contests ahead of the GNAC Tournament.
The top-eight teams in the league standings advance to the 2022 GNAC Tournament, which is set to begin with the quarterfinal round on Tuesday, November 1, with the top-four seeds serving as hosts. The semifinals will be held on Thursday, November 3 by the remaining two highest seeds, followed by the championship match on Saturday, November 5 by the highest remaining seed.
The Blue Jays finished tied for tenth in the regular-season standings at the conclusion of the 2021 season and just missed out on a playoff berth by one game. USJ will look to get over the hump this season and try to make their first postseason appearance since the 2014 campaign.
Admission to all USJ regular-season volleyball games in 2022 is free of charge. Fans who cannot make it to matches in person can watch all of the action live and on demand by visiting https://portal.stretchinternet.com/usj/.
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