For a coach who didn't have a lot to say about his team's schedule, coach Dave Boos said he is happy with it.
Entering his first season as the Ball State University women's volleyball team's head coach, Boos said former coach Randy Litchfield completed a majority of his 2008 schedule, which was released last week, through previous agreements with schools before Boos was hired in January.
"It's a great schedule and appropriate for our team," Boos said. "My philosophy is to cater your schedule to your team's needs ... It's going to be a year we get better every match we play and learn a lot with having a new system of play."
One difference between this schedule and previous Litchfield schedules is the amount of non-conference tournaments. This season, the Cardinals play four non-conference tournaments compared to three in the 2006 season.
Ball State plays two home tournaments, the Ball State Nike/Active Ankle Challenge Aug. 24-25 and the Ball State Classic Sept. 7-8. Also, the Cardinals travel to Hempstead, N.Y., Aug. 31 to Sept. 1 and Iowa City, Iowa Sept. 14-15 for tournaments.
Boos said a new NCAA rule allowing teams to play in four non-conference tournaments was the reason for playing in more of them this season.
"It's a matter of playing teams that are the quality of teams we are going to face in the MAC," Boos said. "We are going to be playing high-quality teams."
The Cardinals play two of its 10 non-conference games in a non-tournament format: IUPUI Sept. 11 and IPFW Oct. 30.
Setter Angie Parrell said playing in tournaments gets a team better prepared because there is pressure to win at the start of the season.
"We realize we are going to have to come and show our stuff early," she said. "With tournaments you have to start competing right away instead of easing into the season."
The Cardinals play two matches against Big Ten teams, including playing the University of Iowa Sept. 15 in the Iowa Invitation. Ball State's only tournament match against a team that ended 2006 ranked in the nation's top 25 is against Big Ten school Ohio State University.
Prior to arriving at Ball State, Boos was the associate head coach at the University of Minnesota, a Big Ten school, for five seasons.
Boos said it wasn't necessarily his Big Ten connections that lead to the Cardinals scheduling these matches, but he is happy to play teams from his former conference.
"I know the Big Ten venues and programs really well, and you need to get used to playing at that level to compete in the MAC," he said. "The Big Ten is one of the best conferences in Division I."
Despite playing two Big Ten schools, Boos said he isn't ready for the Cardinals to play his former school just yet.
"We want to wait a couple more years before we do that," he said. "Minnesota is a very good team this year and will compete for a national title."
Last season Ball State was 1-8 in non-conference tournaments, losing its last seven matches. Its lone win was a four-game match against IPFW.
Parrell said this year's team will be better than the 2007 team that went 12-18, the program's first losing season since 1988.
"It's going to be really exciting, and there are a lot of changes, and we are going to shock a lot of people," Parrell said. "This season the team's personality we will be different and its going to be a fun personality."
Full Schedule
Ball State Nike/Active Ankle Challenge (Muncie)
Aug. 24 vs. Maine 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 25 vs. Southeast Missouri State 12:30 p.m.
Aug. 25 vs. Ohio State 7:30 p.m.
Hofstra Invitational (Hempstead, N.Y.)
Aug. 31 vs. San Diego State 5 p.m.
Sept. 1 at Hofstra 11:30 a.m.
Sept. 1 vs Siena 3:30 p.m.
Ball State Classic (Muncie)
Sept. 7 vs. Eastern Illinois 7 p.m.
Sept. 8 vs. Illinois State 7 p.m.
Sept. 11 at IUPUI 7 p.m.
Iowa Invitational (Iowa City, Iowa)
Sept. 14 vs. College of Charleston 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 at Iowa 10 a.m.
Sept. 15 vs. Texas-Arlington 5 p.m.
Sept. 20 at Central Michigan 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Eastern Michigan 7 p.m.
Sept. 27 at Toledo 7 p.m.
Sept. 29 vs. Buffalo 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 vs. Western Michigan 7 p.m.
Oct. 6 vs. Northern Illinois 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 at Ohio 7 p.m.
Oct. 13 at Kent State 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 vs. Miami 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 vs. Bowling Green 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 vs. Central Michigan 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 vs. Eastern Michigan 7 p.m.
Oct. 30 at IPFW 7 p.m.
Nov. 1 vs. Toledo 7 p.m.
Nov. 3 at Akron 7 p.m.
Nov. 9 at Northern Illinois 7 p.m.
Nov. 10 at Western Michigan 7 p.m.
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