By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The 2017 Willamette University volleyball schedule has been released by Head Coach Tom Shoji. The Bearcats are set to play 24 matches, including nine matches at Cone Field House.

Willamette opens the season on Friday, Sept. 1 with the first day of the Oregon Trail Classic at Lewis & Clark College. The schedule has WU taking on Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) and Augsburg College (Minn.). On Saturday, Sept. 2, the Oregon Trail Classic moves to Pacific University, where Willamette has just one match, a meeting with Olivet College (Mich.).

The Bearcats will play their home opener against Multnomah University on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Match time is set for 6 p.m. (PDT).

After taking on Multnomah, the Bearcats will prepare for the Nebraska Wesleyan University Tournament the following weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska. Willamette will battle against Simpson College (Iowa) and Buena Vista University (Iowa) on Friday, Sept. 8. The Bearcats are slated to take on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and host Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday, Sept. 9.

"The two tournaments that we're opening the season with are two very strong tournaments," Shoji said. "They will give us a really good test right at the start."

WU returns to Oregon for the Northwest Conference opener at Linfield College on Friday, Sept. 15. On Saturday, Sept. 16, the Bearcats will host Pacific University in another NWC game at 7 p.m. (PDT).

Another road trip awaits for matches on Friday, Sept. 22 at Whitworth University and Saturday, Sept. 23 at Whitman College. The match at Whitworth is set for 7 p.m. (PDT), while the match at Whtiman is scheduled for 5 p.m.

Willamettte will play two matches at home the following weekend. The Bearcats and University of Puget Sound will compete at Cone Field House on Friday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. (PDT). Willamette and Pacific Lutheran University set to meet on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 5 p.m.

Three of the next four matches are on the road, starting at Lewis & Clark on Friday, Oct. 6. After playing at George Fox University on Saturday, Oct. 7, the Bearcats will return home to take on Linfield on Friday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. (PDT). A match at Pacific is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14.

Whitman is slated to play at Willamette on Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. (PDT). Whitworth will battle the Bearcats in Salem, Oregon, on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m.

The Bearcats will travel to Tacoma, Washington, to take on Puget Sound on Friday, Oct. 27 and to face Pacific Lutheran on Saturday, Oct. 28. The regular season concludes with a home match against Lewis & Clark on Friday, Nov. 3 and another home contest against George Fox on Saturday, Nov. 4. Both home matches will start at 7 p.m. (PDT).