Moving into a state-of-the-art new home venue, the George Mason women's volleyball team will begin its 2009 campaign with four weekends of tournament play, as head coach Pat Kendrick and the Patriots announced their upcoming season schedule today.

The Patriots will play a total of 12 home matches at the new Recreation Athletic Complex competition venue. The 14,634-square foot gym, a part of the renovated Physical Education Building, will seat 1,550 spectators and see its first action on August 28 as Mason opens play in the annual D.C. Volleyball Challenge against Patriot League foe American. A day later, the Patriots square off against Georgetown and George Washington at AU's Bender Arena.

On August 31, Mason hosts 2008 NCAA Tournament participant Minnesota in its lone home midweek contest of the season. That match will be followed by the annual Patriot Invitational the following weekend, where Mason will play host to Cornell, Kent State and Morehead State in a two-day, six-match tournament.

Mason will then embark on a 10-match road trip, featuring a Wednesday game at UMBC before traveling to tournaments at N.C. State and West Virginia. In Raleigh, the Patriots will face the host Wolfpack along with DePaul, Rutgers and Xavier, while Mason will meet Princeton, Wright State and the host Mountaineers in Morgantown the following weekend.

"Opening up at the D.C. Challenge, competing at the Patriot Invitational and tournaments at N.C. State and West Virginia will prepare us for strong conference competition," Kendrick explained.

The Patriots open Colonial Athletic Association play on September 25 with a 7 p.m. contest at Delaware, then face Towson the following day at 5 p.m. Mason's first home CAA action will come the next weekend, with home matches against rivals VCU and William & Mary during Alumni Weekend festivities on October 2 and 3.

Three road CAA matches follow, then the Patriots will be home for two straight weekends to play four conference contests against Towson, Delaware, UNC Wilmington and Georgia State. Mason visits William & Mary and VCU in its final road action on November 6-7 before closing out the regular season on Nov. 14 on Senior Night against James Madison at 7 p.m.

The top four teams in the conference will square off from Nov. 20-22 at the 2009 CAA Championship, which will be hosted by the highest seed. Kendrick, who will begin her 25th season at the helm of Patriot volleyball, believes the 2009 Patriots will have a chance to make a run at the program's eighth CAA title.

"With the conference taking only the top four teams to the tournament, earning a chance to go to the CAA Tournament will be more competitive this year. I believe we have the skill and the desire to be one of those top teams," Kendrick explained.

"I think the fact we were able to give last year's incoming freshmen a lot of playing time will make a big difference," she said. "As a group, we had a very productive off-season. We're looking forward to working the new players into the system, and feel this will be a strong season for us.