12 home matches at the Athletics-Recreation Center, including a stellar field for the Popcorn Classic, highlight the 2007 Valparaiso volleyball schedule as announced today by Crusader head coach Carin Avery. The Crusaders will be looking for their fifth consecutive 20-win season as they move into the Horizon League.

The Popcorn Classic, to be held September 6-8, boasts two 20-win teams from last year in Marshall and Western Michigan, as well as Big Ten member Indiana. The Crusaders will kick off the home schedule with Marshall on the 6th, and will follow with Indiana on the 7th and Western Michigan on the 8th. All three of the Crusader matches in the tournament will begin at 7 p.m. Valpo has won the last three incarnations of the tournament, in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

The 30-match season begins Friday, August 24 when the Crusaders face off against Miami University at Illinois State, with a match against the host Redbirds scheduled for the next night. The next weekend, Valpo will be in action in western New York, taking on Buffalo, Binghamton and St. Francis.

The pre-conference slate closes on the weekend of September 14-15, as the Crusaders play in a tournament at Bowling Green in a field that also includes DePaul and Duquesne. Other non-conference matches in 2007 include Bradley at the ARC and road tests against IUPUI and IPFW.

The initial season of Horizon League action kicks off on Friday, September 21, as the Crusaders host UIC at the ARC. Valpo will play 16 league matches, playing each of the other eight squads in the league twice. The Crusaders' senior day and final home match of the season will be Saturday, October 27, as Valpo plays host to UW-Green Bay. League play will conclude on Saturday, November 10 at UIC.

UW-Milwaukee will host the 2007 Horizon League Championships from November 15-18. All nine league teams make the tournament, and the winner receives an automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Volleyball Championship.

The 2007 Crusaders return 11 players, including five starters plus the libero, from a squad that won 23 games last season.

2007 Valparaiso University Volleyball

Date Opponent Time
Aug. 24 vs. Miami Univ. ! 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 25 at Illinois State ! 7 p.m.
Aug. 31 at Buffalo # 6 p.m.
Sept. 1 vs. Binghamton # 9 a.m.
Sept. 1 vs. Saint Francis (Pa.) # 3:30 p.m.
Sept. 6 Marshall $ 7 p.m.
Sept. 7 Marshall vs. Indiana $ 11 a.m.
Sept. 7 Western Michigan vs. Marshall $ 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 Indiana $ 7 p.m.
Sept. 8 Western Michigan vs. Indiana $ 12 p.m.
Sept. 8 Western Michigan $ 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 vs. Duquesne % 3:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 vs. DePaul % 9 a.m.
Sept. 15 at Bowling Green % 6 p.m.
Sept. 21 UIC * 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 Loyola (Chicago) * 4 p.m.
Sept. 25 Bradley 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Wright State * 6 p.m.
Sept. 29 at Butler * 3 p.m.
Oct. 2 Cleveland State * 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 Youngstown State * 7 p.m.
Oct. 6 at UW-Green Bay * 4 p.m.
Oct. 7 at UW-Milwaukee * 2 p.m.
Oct. 12 at IUPUI 6 p.m.
Oct. 19 Butler * 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 Wright State * 5 p.m.
Oct. 26 UW-Milwaukee * 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 UW-Green Bay * 7 p.m.
Nov. 2 at Youngstown State * 6 p.m.
Nov. 3 at Cleveland State * 3 p.m.
Nov. 9 at Loyola (Chicago) * 7 p.m.
Nov. 10 at UIC * 4 p.m.
Nov. 15-18 at Horizon League Championships (Milwaukee, Wis.) TBA
Nov. 24 at IPFW 6 p.m.

All times Central.
Home games in bold and played at Athletics-Recreation Center.
! – at Illinois State Tournament (Normal, Ill.)
# - at Western New York Invitational (Buffalo, N.Y.)
$ - Popcorn Classic (Valparaiso, Ind.)
% - at Bowling Green Tournament (Bowling Green, Ohio)
* - indicates Horizon League game