By Tommy McGowan, UWEC Sports Information
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) - The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire volleyball schedule has officially been released for the 2021 season. The last time the Blugolds were on the court was the 2019 season, when they went 20-10 overall and advanced to the first round of the Division III NCAA Tournament.
Eau Claire will begin the season on September 1st with Northwestern-St. Paul (Minn.). That weekend, they will participate in the Bear Invitational, hosted by Washington University in St. Louis.
On September 15th, the Blugolds will kick off Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action, playing UW-River Falls on the road. That match will give them an opportunity to gain momentum before they host the annual Sandy Schumacher Memorial Tournament over the next weekend.
The loaded October slate begins with UW-Oshkosh on the 1st and includes ten other matches, as well as the UW-Whitewater Tournament beginning on the 22nd. Head Coach Kim Wudi explains, "We'll be challenged not only by the strength of our opponents, but the pace of our schedule. We play a lot of matches in a short time, so it will be critical that we continue to develop our depth and repeatedly bring our best every single day."
The regular season will wrap up with a home game against UW-Platteville on October 30th. The WIAC Tournament will begin with the first round on November 2nd and wrap up with the Championship on the 6th. The NCAA Tournament is set to begin a week later, which Eau Claire is hoping to return to for the third straight season.
Wudi and the Blugold athletes are excited to get back on the court, "I'm extremely proud of our student-athletes for continuing to pursue excellence in their academics and in their training opportunities this past year. It is exciting to have a 2021 competition schedule to look forward to, and we know that every opportunity we have to compete this fall is both a privilege and a responsibility."
Follow the action all season long on Blugold Game Day.
