2020 UW-La Crosse Volleyball Schedule

La Crosse, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has announced its 2020 volleyball schedule.  The Eagles, 16-14 overall and 2-5 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) last season, open the year with three matches at the Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) Bear Invitational September 4-5.  UWL faces Willamette University (Ore.) and host WashU (Mo.) on September 4 before going against UW-Superior on September 5. 

UWL starts WIAC play at UW-Stout on September 16. 

The Eagles open their home schedule with the UWL Invitational on September 18-19 for Alumni/Family Weekend with two matches each day in Mitchell Hall.  UWL faces Hamline University (Minn.) and Elmhurst College (Ill.) on September 18 and then Wartburg College (Iowa) and the University of Minnesota-Morris on September 19.   

UWL hosts city-rival Viterbo University (Wis.) on September 30 for Playing For A Cause.  High School Night is set for October 21 as the Eagles host UW-River Falls.  UWL will honor its seniors on October 27 against Wartburg (Iowa).

"I love the ability to be flexible in our schedule," says UWL head coach Amber Dunn.  "We have the ability to see some of the toughest volleyball right here in Wisconsin and the surrounding states, giving us the opportunity to create a tough schedule, but also hosting great home matches."

The 2020 schedule features eight teams that qualified for the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships, including WIAC foes UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater.  Other 2019 qualifiers on the schedule include Augsburg University (Minn.), Aurora University (Ill.), the University of Chicago (Ill.), the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) and WashU (Mo.).  Four of the opponents finished in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll with Chicago (Ill.) sixth, St. Thomas (Minn.) 17th, UW-Stevens Point 18th and Augsburg (Minn.) 22nd.  WashU (Mo.), UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire received votes in the final poll.  UWL is also set to play Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) in 2020.  The Gusties also received votes in the final coaches' poll a year ago.

Viterbo (Wis.) finished third in the final National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Coaches' Top-25 Poll after advancing to the national tournament semifinals. 

Dunn starts her fourth season as UWL's head coach in 2020, compiling a 54-34 record in her first three years.  She was was named the 2017 WIAC Coach of the Year in her first season as head coach as UWL finished 22-7 overall and 7-0 in the WIAC while earning its 12th regular-season conference title in school history.  The Eagles won the 2017 WIAC Tournament Championship and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships.