Anteaters open at Montana tourney

IRVINE — The UC Irvine women’s volleyball team will face six 2006 NCAA Tournament qualifying teams this upcoming season, highlighted by UCLA, which advanced to the championship semifinals last year. Nonconference opponents San Diego and USC also earned postseason berths as did Big West rivals Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State.

The Anteaters open the season at the Montana Tournament on Aug. 24-25 and will face the host Grizzlies, Gonzaga and Canisius College. UCI returns to Crawford Court to host Wyoming, Toledo and Portland in the UCI Tournament on Aug. 31--Sept. 1.

The Anteaters continue the homestand against Loyola Marymount on Sept. 4 in a single match prior to hosting a second tournament on Sept. 7-8, with UCLA, William and Mary and Southern Mississippi making up the four-team field.

The Anteaters then compete in their fourth tournament of the season in Arizona on Sept. 14-15 against the Wildcats, Davidson and Cal State Bakersfield.

UCI opens Big West Conference action against UC Riverside on Sept. 20. The Anteaters play four straight road contests against San Diego (Sept. 21), Cal State Northridge (Sept. 28), Long Beach State (Sept. 29) and USC (Oct. 2). The Anteaters close out the regular season against Yale in a nonconference match at The Pyramid.

The Anteaters, who finished 13-16 overall and 7-7 in conference, return six starters, led by all-conference first-team pick Lauren Kellerman and all-honorable mention pick Kristin Kelley. Also returning to the squad are all-freshman selections, Taryn Robertson and McCall Miller.

UCI women’s volleyball schedule

(subject to change)

August

24 -- vs. Montana at Montana Tournament, 6 p.m.

25 - vs. Gonzaga at Montana Tournament, 9 a.m.

25 -- vs. Canisius College at Montana Tournament, 3:30 p.m.

31-- TOLEDO, UC Irvine Tournament, 1 p.m.

31 -- PORTLAND, UC Irvine Tournament, 7 p.m.

September

4 - LOYOLA MARYMOUNT, 7 p.m.

7 - UCLA, UC Irvine Tournament, 7 p.m.

8-- SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI, UC Irvine Tournament, 1 p.m.

8 -- WILLIAM & MARY, UC Irvine Tournament, 7 p.m.

14- vs. Davidson at Arizona Tournament, 12:30 p.m.

14 -- vs. Arizona at Arizona Tournament, 7 p.m.

15- vs. Cal State Bakersfield at Arizona Tournament, 10 a.m.

20 - *UC RIVERSIDE, 7 p.m.

21 - at San Diego, 7 p.m.

28 - *at Cal State Northridge, 7 p.m.

29 - *at Long Beach State, 7 p.m.

October

2 - at USC, 7 p.m.

5- *PACIFIC, 7 p.m.

6 - *UC DAVIS, 7 p.m.

11 -*at Cal State Fullerton, 7 p.m.

13 - *CAL POLY, 7 p.m.

20 - *at UC Riverside, 7 p.m.

26 - *LONG BEACH STATE, 7 p.m.

27 - *CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE, 7 p.m.

November

2 - *at UC Davis, 7 p.m.

3- *at Pacific, 7 p.m.

7- *CAL STATE FULLERTON, 7 p.m.

10 - *UC SANTA BARBARA, 7 p.m.

16- *at UC Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.

17 - *at Cal Poly, 7 p.m.

24- vs. Yale at Long Beach, 7 p.m.

*Big West Conference matchesNOTE: Home matches in caps and at Crawford Court unless stated otherwise.