Utah Valley releases 2017 Schedule
2017 Schedule | 2017 Schedule (pdf)
OREM, Utah – Defending WAC Champion Utah Valley University will open the 2017 season against perennial national power Akron on Friday, August 25 at Clyde Field. The upcoming schedule, assembled by head coach Greg Maas, includes five NCAA Tournament participants, four of which come during eight challenging non-conference matches.
The Zips, along with Washington, San Diego State, and Big West Champion CSUN, all participated in the NCAA Tournament and are part of the difficult non-conference slate that went a combined 82-54-27 last season, with every team at or above .500.
"The strength of this year's schedule is a direct reflection of this team's overall quality and experience. To consistently compete at the national level, you must continually test yourself against the best programs in the country," said Maas. "Unquestionably, this team is very focused and motivated to repeat as WAC Champions and make an impressionable return to the NCAA tournament. I know our team can't wait to return to Clyde Field in front of our 12th Wolverines in August."
Utah Valley, which finished 15-4-1 overall in 2016, will face teams from five different conferences before the start of WAC play, including three from the Big West and two from the Pac 12. UVU will play one team each from the Mid-American, the West Coast, and the Summit League.
Prior to the season opener against Akron, Utah Valley will travel to Southern California for an exhibition at UCLA on August 16, and the annual Green & White intrasquad match will be on Saturday, August 19.
With Akron, the 2010 NCAA Champions, the Wolverines are likely to open at home against at Top 25 opponent for the second straight season. The Zips finished the season ranked No. 24 in three different polls after reaching the NCAA Tournament for the 31st time and winning their 13th MAC title.
Big West Champion CSUN comes to Clyde Field on Friday, Sept. 1. The Matadors won the Big West South Division title before winning the Big West title over UVU's next opponent, Cal State Fullerton, where UVU plays its first road match on Sept. 8. They'll wrap up that trip on Sept. 10 at San Diego State, a team the finished third in the Pac 12.
The following week has Utah Valley back at Clyde Field for a four-team tournament that includes games against Sacramento State (Sept. 15) and Omaha (Sept. 17). Northern Illinois is also part of the tournament.
The non-conference schedule wraps up with a road trip to the Pacific Northwest, where the Wolverines will face Washington (Sept. 21) and Gonzaga (Sept. 24). The game against the Huskies is a rematch of last season's opener, a 2-1 UVU victory when Washington was ranked No. 20 and the Wolverines No. 21. The Huskies finished second in the Pac 12, runners-up to back-to-back National Champion winners Stanford. UW owned the ninth-ranked RPI at the end of the 2016 season after advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.
Defense of the Wolverines' WAC title starts Friday, Sept. 29 at home against San José State. At home in conference matches, UVU will also have UMKC (Oct. 12), Air Force (Oct. 14), Houston Baptist (Oct. 19), and Seattle U (Nov. 4) in the final regular season contest. Utah Valley has league road matches at CSU Bakersfield (Oct. 1), Incarnate Word (Oct. 8), UT Rio Grande Valley (Oct. 10), WAC Tournament Champion UNLV (Oct. 27), and Grand Canyon (Oct. 29).
The WAC Tournament, which will consist of the top six teams following the 10 regular season matches, will be Nov. 9-12 at UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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