Alabama State University Head coach Penny Lucas-White announced the 2012 Lady Hornets Volleyball schedule.
 
The Lady Hornets will open up at home this season in the first annual ISTAP Invitational.  ISTAP (I Support the Athletic Program) is an Alabama State athletic booster organization that has been supporting the athletics programs for the last six years.  The invitational will feature Southeastern Louisiana University, Tennessee State, Stetson and Jacksonville State, August 24-25 in Lockhart Gym.
 
“The ISTAP Invitational is going to be a great playing field of competition'” said Lucas-White.  I think that there is a lot of parody within all the teams and I think that these games are going to be up for grabs.  I also think that this is going to be a great opportunity for our kids to play at home.  Last year we only had five home games and this season we will have 15.  I love the fact that ISTAP is sponsoring this tournament.  This gives us an opportunity to give back and to showcase to the boosters that support Alabama State University.”
 
The Lady Hornets will open on the road in the first of three tournaments, Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, Aug. 31 thru Sept. 1 and then return to the State of Alabama to compete in the Bama Bash hosted by the University of Alabama tournament Sept 7-8. They will close out the first half of their road trips against the University of Tennessee Chattanooga on Sept. 11.
 
“My vision is to not only do well within the SWAC, but I think we need to have a vision do well outside of the SWAC”, Lucas-White said.  “I think that this is going to bring a great recognition for us all.  I also think that this will be a great experience for our ladies, to go see what the PAC-10 has and what the SEC looks like.  This will also be a great measuring tool for the vision that I have here at Alabama State.  My vision is to make it to the NCAA tournament.  We want to win inside the SWAC as well as outside of SWAC and represent Alabama State the best that we can.  In order to do that we need to go out and compete.”
 
Alabama State will return home the following weekend to host the annual ASU Tournament Sept. 14-15.  The Lady Hornets will be set to host Troy University, University of North Texas, Hampton University, University of Tennessee @ Martin, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Jackson State.
 
ASU will play its next two games at home, welcoming the opening of SWAC play against Alcorn State, Sept 22, followed by non-conference school Kennesaw State on Oct. 2 in Lockhart Gym.
 
“The ASU Tournament has a lot of parody we would have come back from Washington State which will be the strongest level of competition that we will have to face all season, we should be set and ready to play at this next level.  It's going to be a little bit stronger then the first tournament that we host.”
 
The Lady Hornets will travel to Baton Rouge to participate in its final tournament of the season in the Southern University Tournament October 5-6, before heading to Jackson State to compete against the 2011 SWAC Conference Champs Jackson State University, Oct 12.
 
Alabama State will close its home non-conference slate against Cal State Bakersfield, Oct 13-14.  The Lady Hornets will finish non-conference play on the road against MEAC conference school Savannah State University, Oct. 21.
 
“Cal State Bakersfield is an independent team right now,” Lucas-White Said.  We will host them here in Montgomery for two days with the thought that we will return the game either in 2013 or 14.  I think getting the flavor of the west coast, east coast, and the Midwest, we are playing everybody across the word and I think that this will be a wonderful building block for Alabama State.”
 
On the road in league play, the Lady Hornets will face Alcorn State (Oct. 26), Mississippi Valley State (Oct. 27) and Alabama A&M University (Oct. 31), before returning home to host conference foes Jackson State (Nov. 3), Alabama A&M (Nov.6) and Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 10) concluding its slate of games before the conference Tournament.
 
This year's Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament will be Nov. 16-18.

Date	Opponent	Time	Site
AUGUST
24-25	ISTAP Invitational		Montgomery, Ala.
24	Southeastern Louisiana University	1 pm	Montgomery, Ala.
24	Tennessee State University	7 pm	Montgomery, Ala.
25	Stetson University	1 pm	Montgomery, Ala.
25	Jacksonville State University	7 pm	Montgomery, Ala.
31	Washington State University	TBA	Pullman, Washington
SEPTEMBER
1	Washington State University	TBA	Pullman, Washington
7-8	University of Alabama Tournament	TBA	Tuscaloosa, Ala.
11	University Tennessee-Chattanooga	7 pm	Chattanooga, Tenn
14-15	ASU Tournament	TBA	Montgomery, Ala.
22*	Alcorn State	4 pm	Montgomery, Ala.
OCTOBER
2	Kennesaw State University	6 pm	Montgomery, Ala.
5-6	Southern University Tournament	TBA	Baton Rouge, La.
12*	Jackson State University	7 pm	Jackson, Miss.
13	Cal State Bakersfield	7 pm	Montgomery, Ala.
14	Cal State Bakersfield	1 pm	Montgomery, Ala.
21	Savannah State University	1 pm	Savannah, Ga.
26*	Alcorn State University	7 pm	Lorman, Miss.
27*	Miss. Valley State University	2 pm	Itta Bena, Miss.
31*	Alabama A&M University	TBA	Huntsville, Ala.
NOVEMBER
3*	Jackson State University	4 pm	Montgomery, Ala.
6*	Alabama A&M University	7 pm	Montgomery, Ala.
10	Miss. Valley State University	2 pm	Montgomery, Ala.
16-18	SWAC Tournament	TBA	TBA