Wildcat Volleyball Announces 2024 Schedule - Central Washington University Athletics (2024)

Women's Volleyball 6/11/2024 3:09:00 PM

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – A full home-and-home conference schedule and a home tournament featuring six of the top teams in the west region including the defending national champions highlight the 2024 Central Washington University volleyball schedule for this coming fall as announced today by the team.

Make sure to reserve your season tickets to see the action during each day of the CWU Invitational Tournament and all nine home conference matches for the 2024 season by clicking HERE. Reserved seating season tickets are $103, general admission season tickets are $78, and senior citizen (65 plus) and students k-12 season tickets are $48.

The Wildcats will play a pair of exhibition matches against NCAA Division I opponents to open the 2024 season, first hosting Eastern Washington on Aug. 24 at 1:00 p.m. inside Nicholson Arena. The 'Cats will then head to Portland State on Aug. 25 for a 1:00 p.m. first serve down in Portland, Ore.

The Wildcats will stay head to familiar territory to open the regularseason as they head to Bellingham, Wash. to participate in the Western Washington University Invitational from Sept. 5-7. The 'Cats open the WWU Invite with a pair of opponents who made the NCAA Tournament last season in Metro State (Sept. 5 at 4:30 p.m.) and San Francisco State (Sept. 6 at 4:30 p.m.). CWU will wrap up their time in Bellingham facing off against Sonoma State on Sept. 7 at 2:00 p.m.

Six of the top teams in the west region will collide in Ellensburg as the Wildcats host the CWU Invitational from Sept. 12-14. CWU will welcome WWU, Simon Fraser, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal Poly Pomona, and reigning national champions Cal State Los Angeles to Nicholson Arena for a three day, nine-game tournament. The 'Cats open their tournament against Cal Poly Pomona on Sept. 12 at 7:00 p.m., following up on Sept. 13 at 7:00 p.m. against Cal State San Bernardino, and concluding on Sept. 14 at 4:00 p.m. against Cal State LA.

The 'Cats will dive into GNAC play heading on the road at Western Oregon (Sept. 19) and Saint Martin's (Sept. 21) with both matches set for 7:00 p.m. The Wildcats will return home to welcome Montana State Billings (Sept. 26 at 7:00 p.m.) and Seattle Pacific (Sept. 28 at 1:00 p.m.) before heading back on the road for a three-game stint starting first at Northwest Nazarene (Oct. 5 at noon) and at Alaska Fairbanks (Oct. 10 at 12:00 p.m.) and Alaska Anchorage (Oct. 12 at 8:00 p.m.). CWU will wrap up the first half of conference play at home against Simon Fraser (Oct. 17) and Western Washington (Oct. 19) with both games happening at 7:00 p.m. inside Nicholson Arena.

The crimson and black open the second half of conference play at Seattle Pacific (Oct. 24 at 7:00 p.m.) and at Montana State Billings (Oct. 26 at noon). The 'Cats will head back to Ellensburg for a three-game stint first against Northwest Nazarene (Nov. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) before welcoming Alaska Anchorage (Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m.) and Alaska Fairbanks (Nov. 9 at 1:00 p.m.). CWU will then head on their final road trip of the regular season at Western Washington (Nov. 14) and at Simon Fraser (Nov. 16) with both matches happening at 7:00 p.m. The Wildcats wrap up the regular season in their home gym with a pair of matches against Saint Martin's (Nov. 21) and Western Oregon (Nov. 23) with both matches happening at 7:00 p.m.

The Wildcats will look to earn their 12th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024, falling in the first round in 2023 to the hosting Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes by a 3-0 score. CWU finished with a 20-7 overall record and a 14-4 GNAC record good enough for second place in the GNAC and the seventh seed in the NCAA Tournament. The 'Cats opened their season tough with the first eight of nine opponents making the NCAA Tournament the year prior and, in that span, going 7-2 including taking down the defending national champions Cal State LA 3-1 and sweeping the Up North Preseason Tournament highlighted by victories over hosting Minnesota Duluth and top-five ranked St. Cloud State. All-American Emma Daoud-Hebert and All-Conference honorees Hannah Stires and Scottie Ellsworth return to lead the 'Cats this season with Daoud-Hebert and Stires looking to make big splashes in their senior seasons.

Below is the 2024 Wildcats Volleyball Schedule (all times PST):

Aug. 28 – vs. Eastern Washington^, 1:00 p.m.
Aug. 25 – at Portland State^, 1:00 p.m.
Sept. 5 – vs. Metro State$, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 6 – vs. San Francisco State$, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 – vs. Sonoma State$, 2:00 p.m.
Sept. 12 – vs. Cal Poly Pomona%, 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 13 – vs. Cal State San Bernardino%, 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 14 – vs. Cal State Los Angeles%, 4:00 p.m.
Sept. 19 – at Western Oregon*, 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 21 – at Saint Martin's*, 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 26 – vs. Montana State Billings*, 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 28 – vs. Seattle Pacific*, 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 5 – at Northwest Nazarene*, 12:00 p.m.
Oct. 10 – at Alaska Fairbanks*, 12:00 p.m.
Oct. 12 – at Alaska Anchorage*, 8:00 p.m.
Oct. 17 – vs. Simon Fraser*, 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 19 – vs. Western Washington*, 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 24 – at Seattle Pacific*, 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 26 – at Montana State Billings*, 12:00 p.m.
Nov. 2 – vs. Northwest Nazarene*, 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 7 – vs. Alaska Anchorage*, 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 9 – vs. Alaska Fairbanks*, 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 14 – at Western Washington*, 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 16 – at Simon Fraser*, 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 21 – vs. Saint Martin's*, 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 23 – vs. Western Oregon*, 7:00 p.m.

Dec. 5-7 – NCAA West Regional&, TBD
Dec. 12 – NCAA Elite Eight^, TBD
Dec. 13 – NCAA Final Four^, TBD
Dec. 14 – NCAA Championship^, TBD

Home games are in Bold
*Denotes conference game
^Denotes exhibition match
$Denotes WWU Invitational held in Bellingham, Wash.
%Denotes CWU Invitational held in Ellensburg, Wash.
&Denotes NCAA West Regional Tournament with host TBD
^Denotes NCAA Tournament held in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Schedule is subject to change