THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The 2019 Cal Lutheran men's volleyball schedule has been announced and the Kingsmen's season is highlighted by games in the Midwest, a trip to the east coast and the Cal Lu Fornia Classic.
The Kingsmen enter their fourth season and are coming off their highest ranking in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll. CLU finished 2018 ranked No. 12.
Cal Lutheran is looking to build on that success and with that have built a tough schedule for the upcoming season.
In 2019, the Kingsmen will take on eight teams that finished 2018 in the final top-15 poll, according to the AVCA. CLU's schedule includes Springfield (No. 1), Stevens (No. 2), Dominican (No. 4), Carthage (No. 5), Marymount (No. 7), SUNY New Paltz (No. 8), Benedictine (No. 9) and UC Santa Cruz (No. 10).
"The guys are excited to get after it, again this year," said head coach Kevin Judd. "We had our best finish last year and look forward to the challenging season ahead, one match at a time."
Cal Lutheran begins its 2019 campaign on Thursday, Jan. 10, at home and take on Arcadia inside Gilbert Arena. The Violet and Gold then hit the road for the Slug Fest Tournament in Santa Cruz, Calif., Jan. 10-12.
The first big road trip of the season is Feb. 1-3, when the Kingsmen are in Wisconsin and Illinois. CLU will face off against three top-15 opponents during the trip in Carthage, Benedictine (IL) and Dominican.
The Violet and Gold then host their own classic as they welcome eight teams for the fourth annual Cal Lu Fornia Classic. The classic will be held March 7-10. The Kingsmen will take on Adrian, Emmanuel, Johnson & Wales and Rivier.
The Kingsmen are then on the road for an east coast trip. Cal Lutheran will take on teams in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia. The big game on the schedule is CLU's first-ever matchup with Springfield College (Mass.), March 28. Springfield is the two-time defending national champion.
"When you get the chance to play a national champion, you get to see the level at which it takes to win a national championship," said Judd. "Playing Springfield will be a great opportunity for us to challenge ourselves and gain some valuable experience."
Senior night is Thursday, April 4, as the Kingsmen host Moorpark College. Cal Lutheran's final regular season game is at UC Santa Cruz on Saturday, April 13.
The NCAA Regionals and Championships are held Friday and Sunday April 19-21 and 26-28, respectively. Twelve teams are chosen for the regionals with four advancing to the championships. Ten conferences are awarded automatic bids with two more teams receiving at-large bids.
2019 Season: Kingsmen Volleyball
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Release byRyan Jorgenson, Sports Information Director