AZUSA, Calif. -- The Azusa Pacific volleyball program will make its first appearance in a preseason tournament on the East Coast, when the Cougars visit Rochester, N.Y., for a non-conference tournament hosted by Roberts Wesleyan University on Labor Day weekend, part of a tentative 29-match 2007 regular season schedule released today.

For the fifth straight season, Azusa Pacific will kick off the season with its participation in Fresno Pacific’s annual Sunbird Invitational, where the Cougars will play 4 total matches on Friday and Saturday, August 24-25. Azusa Pacific has made 7 previous appearances at tournaments hosted by Fresno Pacific, posting a 24-5 record including 4 victories there to kick off the 2006 campaign.

After the East Coast trip for the Roberts Wesleyan tournament, the Cougars jump into Golden State Athletic Conference play, kicking off the 20-match conference slate with 3 straight road matches, beginning with another trip to Fresno to face 8-time defending conference champion Fresno Pacific in the conference opener on Tuesday, Sept. 4.

The Cougars’ home opener will be on Saturday, Sept. 15, when they host Concordia at 3 p.m. at the Felix Event Center, the first of 3 September home matches. The month of October features 5 home matches in an 18-day stretch, including Azusa Pacific’s lone remaining non-conference matchup, an Oct. 17 meeting with Bryan (Tenn.) College. Last year, Bryan finished second behind Appalachian Athletic Conference champion King (Tenn.), one of Azusa Pacific’s first-round opponents at the 2006 NAIA Tournament.

Click here to view the full schedule, or navigate to the schedule/results page through Azusa Pacific’s athletics website at www.apu.edu/athletics/volleyball.