FARGO, N.D. – Nine new opponents and nine home matches at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse highlight North Dakota State University volleyball's 2018 schedule announced today by NDSU head coach Jennifer Lopez.
 
"Our league schedule this year is going to be just as tough as it has been over the past couple of years. In order to prepare ourselves for league play, we have scheduled four tough weeks of non-conference opponents," said Lopez, who enters her second season at NDSU. Four teams on the schedule advanced to the NCAA tournament, while another played in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship.
 
"With the returners that we are bringing back and the addition of our five new freshmen, we as a staff are excited about the opportunities they are going to get while playing against some very high level opponents."
 
North Dakota State opens the season on the road for the first four weekends broken up by the home opener against Western Carolina at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 2. The Bison open against Seton Hall at noon Friday, Aug. 24, at the University at Buffalo tournament.
 
NDSU then makes the short trip to the University of Minnesota for the Diet Coke Classic with matches against the Gophers, Arkansas and Georgia Southern on Aug. 31-Sept. 1.
 
Following the match with the Catamounts, the Bison head to Muncie, Indiana, for the Ball State tournament on Sept. 7-8, and close out the pre-league schedule with matches at the ACC's North Carolina on Friday, Sept. 14, and at Duke on Saturday, Sept. 15.
 
North Dakota State opens Summit League play with four of its five matches within the friendly confines of the BBF, hosting South Dakota at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, Omaha at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, South Dakota State at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, and Denver at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30.
 
Sandwiched in between, the Bison travel to the University of North Dakota at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26. It's the first of two meetings against UND, the second is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. NDSU then hosts Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, and closes out the home schedule with Western Illinois at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, and Fort Wayne at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4.
 
Nine new opponents are on the schedule including Arkansas, Ball State, Buffalo, Duke, Indiana, Niagara, North Carolina, Seton Hall and Western Carolina.
 
Season tickets are on sale now at GoBison.com. Single-match tickets will be available August 1.
 
NDSU finished the 2017 season with a 19-9 record including 9-5 in the Summit League last season. The Bison advanced to the league tournament semifinals for the ninth time.
 
North Dakota State returns seven players from last season including Summit League all-tournament outside hitter McKenzie Burke, a 5-foot-10 senior from Osceola, Wis.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2018 North Dakota State Volleyball Schedule
Date     Opponent         Location           Time
# Buffalo Tournament                            
Fri., Aug. 24      vs. Seton Hall    Buffalo, N.Y..    12 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 24      vs. Niagara        Buffalo, N.Y.     4 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 25     at Buffalo         Buffalo, N.Y..    12:30 p.m.                   
% Minnesota Diet Coke Classic
Fri., Aug. 31      at Minnesota     Minneapolis, Minn.         7 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 1      vs. Arkansas     Minneapolis, Minn.         12 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 1      vs. Georgia Southern     Minneapolis, Minn.         4:30 p.m.                     
Sun., Sept. 2    WESTERN CAROLINA  FARGO             3 p.m.
& Ball State Tournament
Fri., Sept. 7       vs. Indiana        Muncie, Ind.      12 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 7       at Ball State      Muncie, Ind.      7:30 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 8      vs. Northern Iowa          Muncie, Ind.      3 p.m.              
Fri., Sept. 14     at North Carolina           Chapel Hill, N.C.            6:30 p.m.         
Sat., Sept. 15    at Duke             Durham, N.C.    6:30/7 p.m.      
Fri., Sept. 21    * SOUTH DAKOTA        FARGO             7 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 23  * OMAHA          FARGO             1 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 26  * at North Dakota          Grand Forks, N.D.         7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 28    * SOUTH DAKOTA STATE       FARGO             7 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 30  * DENVER        FARGO             1 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 5         * at Western Illinois        Macomb, Ill.      7 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 7       * at Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Ind.            1 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 12      * NORTH DAKOTA        FARGO             7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 19       * at Denver        Denver, Colo.    7 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 21     * at Omaha        Omaha, Neb.    1 p.m.
Tues., Oct. 23   * ORAL ROBERTS        FARGO             7 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 28     * at South Dakota State Brookings, S.D. 2 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 2       * WESTERN ILLINOIS  FARGO             7 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 4     * FORT WAYNE            FARGO             1 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 9        * at Oral Roberts           Tulsa, Okla.      7 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 11     * at South Dakota          Vermillion, S.D. 1 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 16      **at Summit League Tournament            Denver, Colo.    TBA
Sat., Nov. 17     **at Summit League Tournament            Denver, Colo.    TBA
Sun., Nov. 18    **at Summit League Tournament            Denver Colo.    TBA
 
Home matches in BOLD at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse
All times are local
*--Summit League Matches; #--Buffalo Tournament (Buffalo, N.Y.); %--Minnesota Diet Coke Classic (Minneapolis, Minn.); &--Ball State Tournament (Muncie, Ind.); **--Summit League Tournament (Denver, Colo.)