NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College volleyball program has announced its 2019 schedule. The reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions have three non-conference tournaments along the Northeast coast before starting league-play in mid-September.
First year head coach
Esai Velez-Perez and the Gaels begin the 2019 campaign at the Army Invitational. Starting on Saturday, Aug. 31 in Westpoint, NY, the Maroon & Gold will play Rhode Island, New Hampshire and the host Black Knights at the Gillis Field House. Last season the Gaels went a full five sets against the Wildcats before coming away with the win. It that match, rising-junior
Taylor Cole had six aces, tied for fourth most in a single five-set match in program history. That match the Gaels also combined for 65 assists, tied for eighth most in a single-match in Iona history.
The second tournament is the UConn Challenge starting on Thursday, Sept. 5. It'll be a tough test for Iona playing Connecticut, Central Connecticut and Boston College. The Gaels fell in four sets to both the Huskies and Blue Devils last season. The Eagles went 15-15, 5-13 ACC in 2018. Iona has only played against Boston College once in its program history back in 2003 where the Eagles won in straight sets.
Following a solo non-conference match at Seton Hall, the Maroon & Gold travel to Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, VA for the William & Mary Colonial Classic. That weekend starting on Friday, Sept. 13, the Gaels will play the host school, Georgetown, and UNC Greensboro. The trio of games is the final tune-up before conference play.
Iona's scheduled MAAC-opening match against Rider is set for Saturday, Sept. 21. Following a trip to Saint Peter's the following Sunday, the Maroon & Gold have home matches against Canisius and Niagara. The venue for the two contests against the Western New York foes is still to be determined. The matchup against the Golden Griffins is a rematch of the 2018 MAAC Championship match.
The first conference road trip starts on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Quinnipiac. That same weekend the Gaels stay in Connecticut with a match against Fairfield. Manhattan hosts Iona on Saturday, Oct. 12.
The Gaels return home for a weekend in mid-October with contests against Rider, Marist and Siena. Iona opens up the new Hynes Center on Wednesday, Oct. 16 against the Broncs. Last year the Maroon & Gold and Broncs battled to five sets at the Hynes Center where each game was decided by three points or less.
The three-game home MAAC match is followed by the annual trip to Western New York the weekend of Saturday, Oct. 26. The Maroon & Gold's final home stretch starts on Friday, Nov. 1 against Fairfield and is followed by Quinnipiac, Saint Peter's and Manhattan. Saturday, Nov. 9 against is the Jaspers is home-finale.
The last two regular season games are against Marist on Friday, Nov. 15 and Siena on Saturday, Oct. 16.
The 2019 MAAC Championship begins on Friday, Nov. 22 and is being held at George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall on the campus of Fairfield University.
Be sure to follow Iona College athletics on all social media platforms:
ICGaels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
Iona Volleyball: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
