Tuesday, September 2, 2014

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Alaska Anchorage will open its 2014 volleyball season Friday as it hosts the SpringHill Suites Invitational in the Alaska Airlines Center.

The tournament will mark the first regular-season sporting event at UAA's brand-new home.

The tournament will serve as the cornerstone for the center's Grand Opening Week, which will extend through Sept. 14 with campus and community events and concerts.

Prior to this season, UAA played its home matches at the 1,000-seat Wells Fargo Sports Complex.  The Alaska Airlines Center will seat 5,000.

The tournament will open Friday at 9 a.m. with a match between Saint Leo and Alaska Anchorage.  LIU Post (also known as C.W. Post) will play Saint Leo at 1 p.m.  The Seawolves will then play LIU Post at 7 p.m. to conclude the opening day.

The tournament is one of seven this weekend involving GNAC teams.

Alaska will host the Flint Hills Resources Alaska Nanook Classic beginning today (Thursday).  Joining the Nanooks in the three-team tournament will be St. Edward's and Tiffin.  Tonight's opening match at 7 p.m. will feature the Nanooks and St. Edward's.

Central Washington will host the CWU Hampton Inn Invitational. 

Joining the Wildcats in the tournament will be Cal State Stanislaus, UC San Diego, Cal State San Bernardino and Sonoma State from the California Collegiate Athletic Association along with Saint Martin's and Western Washington from the GNAC and Hawaii Pacific from the PacWest Conference. 

Today's opening match at noon will feature Cal State Stanislaus and the host Wildcats.

Seattle Pacific, MSU Billings and Simon Fraser will also host tournaments, while Northwest Nazarene travels to Colorado  to compete in the Colorado Mines Oredigger touranament.  That tournament. which will also include Augustana, Colorado Mines, Wayne State and Minnesota State Mankato, begins Friday.

Seattle Pacific will be joined by Western Oregon, Dixie State, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State L.A. and Chico State in the SPU Invitational.

Today's opening matches will pit Western Oregon against Cal State L.A. at 4:30 p.m. and Seattle Pacific versus Chico State at 7 p.m.

MSU Billings will host Mary, Chadron State, Minot State and Black Hills State Friday and Saturday in the MSU Billings Invitational and Simon Fraser will host Thompson Rivers, Vancouver Island and Capilano in the SFU Hilton Metrotown Invitational Friday and Saturday.