EASTON, Mass. (July 18, 2022)- The Stonehill College volleyball team has announced its schedule for the 2022 season which marks the Skyhawks' first year as a Division I member of the Northeast Conference. This year, the Skyhawks will play a 28-game schedule which includes 12 road games and 12 home games at Merkert Gymnasium. Stonehill starts the year by taking part in the UNC Asheville Invitational which is slated to take place between August 26-27. During the tournament, the Skyhawks will be playing all new opponents that include UNC Asheville, Morehead State University, Queens University (N.C.), and the University of North Alabama.
After competing in their season-opening tournament, the Skyhawks hit the road for an opening three-game road set against Bryant University on Tuesday, August 30 followed by two more road contests at Manhattan College (Saturday, September 10) and Saint Anselm College (Saturday, September 16). Stonehill hosts their first home-opener as a Division I institution when they welcome Saint Michael's College on Saturday, September 17 at 1 p.m. Following the home opener, the Skyhawks hit the road again for three games including their Northeast Conference opener against Saint Francis (Pa.) University on Friday, September 23 at 5 p.m. On the 24th, Stonehill continues their Northeast Conference matchups when they take on Fairleigh Dickinson University and finally wrap up their road trip at the University of Hartford on Wednesday, September 28 for a 7 p.m. contest. September concludes with the Skyhawks' first Northeast Conference home game hosting Merrimack College on Friday, September 30 at 7 p.m.
Stonehill starts the month of October with their largest homestand of the season that includes four matches with two being nonconference and two conference opponents. The homestand starts with Franklin Pierce University on Saturday, October 1 at 2 p.m. versus Franklin Pierce, and then a few days later, the Skyhawks host University at Albany on Thursday, October 6 at 7 p.m. Stonehill rounds out the home slate against two Northeast Conference opponents in Long Island University on Friday, October 7 at 5 p.m. and then St. Francis College Brooklyn on Saturday, October 8 at 5 p.m. The Skyhawks then find themselves back on the road for three contests at the University of New Hampshire (Wednesday, October 12 at 7 p.m.), Central Connecticut State University (Friday, October 14 at 5 p.m.), and Sacred Heart University (Saturday, October 15 at 7 p.m.). Four of their last five matches for the month of October are all home games for the Skyhawks including two more Northeast Conference matchups to conclude the month against Saint Francis (Pa.) University on Friday, October 28 at 5 p.m. and Fairleigh Dickenson University on Saturday, October 29 at 5 p.m.
The Skyhawks finish the month of November with four games (two home and two away). Stonehill starts the month at home with Northeast Conference matches against Central Connecticut State University on Friday, November 4 at 7 p.m. and Sacred Heart University on Saturday, November 5 at 5 p.m. The purple and white finish the season with two road contests traveling to Long Island University on Friday, November 11 at 5 p.m. and Saturday, November 12 at 5 p.m. at St. Francis College Brooklyn.
Stonehill capped its last season in Division II with a 22-10 record (eighth 20-win season in program history), including 10-3 in the NE10 which also featured a No. 1 East Region ranking for the first time in program history early last season. After earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the Skyhawks earned its first NCAA Tournament win in program history with a three-set sweep of Jefferson University.
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