Volleyball Releases 2023 Schedule
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) volleyball team and third-year head coach Sheila Gisbrecht have announced the schedule for the upcoming 2023 season. Highlighting the Blue Jays' 27-match regular-season slate are 14 home matches, including three home tri-matches inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium on the campus of USJ.
The Blue Jays open up the 2023 campaign inside James. A Calhoun Gymnasium, with a match against intra-state foe Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) on Friday, September 1 at 4:00 p.m. The following the day, USJ heads on the road for a non-conference tri-match at ECSU on Saturday, September 2. USJ will first have a rematch against the Warriors at noon, before meeting Mount Holyoke College on the court at 2:00 p.m. Following the season opening tri-match, USJ returns to West Hartford, welcoming local foes Trinity University of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) on Wednesday, September 6. First serve against the Bantams is set for 6:00 p.m.
Following the opening stretch of the season, USJ takes a trip to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for the Vassar Quad matches, hosted by Vassar College from September 8-9. The Blue Jays first take on the host Brewers on Friday September 8 at 5:00 p.m., before battling Neumann University and Wheaton (Mass.) on Saturday, September 9, at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively. Saint Joseph then returns back to West Hartford on Sunday, September 12 to host non-conference challenger Framingham State University of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) before traveling to NESCAC adversary and intrastate foe Connecticut College on Wednesday, September 13.
USJ then returns to West Hartford for its longest homestand of the season beginning Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play with five matches across 11 days. The Blue Jays begin its conference slate by welcoming conference newcomers New England College on Saturday, September 16 before facing off with Norwich University on Tuesday, September 19. First serve against the Pilgrims is set for 1:00 p.m., while the Blue Jays and Cadets are set for a 6:00 p.m. start.
The Blue Jays then continue GNAC play, hosting its first of three home tri-matches, playing Dean College and Emmanuel College on Saturday, September 23. The Blue Jays and Bulldogs will first meet at 11:00 a.m. before USJ battles the Saints at 3:00 p.m. to round out the day. USJ concludes its longest home stretch of the season with another GNAC contest, hosting the Rivier University Raiders on Wednesday, September 27 at 6:00 p.m.
GNAC play continues for the Blue Jays as they conclude the month of September, wrapping up its opening month of play with a road tri-match at Lasell University on Saturday, September 30. While in Newton, Mass., on Saturday afternoon, USJ will contest against both Lasell and Anna Maria College
When the calendar flips over to October, Saint Joseph takes a quick break from conference play, hosting MASCAC opponent Fitchburg State University inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium. First serve against the Falcons is slated for 6:00 p.m. The Blue Jays then return to GNAC action, travelling to Weston, Mass. to face Regis College on Friday, October 12, before travelling to Little East Conference (LEC) and intrastate opponent Western Connecticut State University for the teams' penultimate non-conference matchup on Thursday, October 12 in Danbury, Conn.
Volleyball then returns home on Saturday, October 14 for a home conference tri-match. USJ first battles conference newcomers and Nutmeg State rivals Mitchell College at 11:00 a.m., before rounding out the tri-match with a meeting against Colby-Sawyer College at 3:00 p.m. USJ then heads back on the road, travelling to New Haven, Conn., for a GNAC meeting with heated rivals Albertus Magnus College on Wednesday, October 18.
The Blue Jays' then get the week off before returning home for its final home tri-match of the season on Saturday, October 28. USJ first meets Saint Joseph's College of Maine on the court at 11:00 a.m., before rounding out its non-conference portion of the 2023 campaign MASCAC opponent MCLA at 3:00 p.m. USJ then begins the final month of the season, November, with a meeting against Elms College in West Hartford on Wednesday, November 1 at 7:00 p.m for the team's final regular season home match.
Rounding out the 2023 regular-season schedule is a road tri-match for the Blue Jays against tough opposition on Saturday, November 4 at Simmons University in Boston. USJ first takes on the reigning GNAC Champions Johnson & Wales University at 1:00 p.m., before concluding the regular season against the Sharks, who fell to the Wildcats in last season's title match, at 3:00 p.m. for its final contests ahead of the GNAC Tournament.
The top-ten teams in the league standings advance to the 2023 GNAC Tournament, which is set to begin with the first round on Monday, November 6, with the seventh and eighth seeds serving as hosts, followed by the quarterfinals on Tuesday, November 7 at the sites of the top-four seeds. The semifinals will be held on Thursday, November 9 by the remaining two highest seeds, followed by the championship match on Saturday, November 11 by the highest remaining seed.
The Blue Jays finished tied for twelfth in the regular-season standings at the conclusion of the 2022 season. 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 2023 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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