BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. --- Gardner-Webb head volleyball coach Leo Sayles and the Gardner-Webb athletic department are pleased to announce the Runnin' Bulldogs' upcoming 2014 schedule, which includes 11 home matches as well as road tournaments at the University of South Carolina, Niagara University, Texas Tech, and Wofford.

"Our 2014 schedule provides a balance of competition during our non-conference schedule against programs from major conferences," said Sayles. "The early tests and travel schedule is challenging but should help the team prepare for the rigors of our Big South conference schedule. Last year we learned we could compete with the top teams in our conference but did not finish well when the matches mattered late in the season. Hopefully we will be better prepared for the playoff atmosphere we encountered late in our schedule, and will see success in the postseason."

The Runnin' Bulldogs will kick off the 2014 season on August 29th and 30th at South Carolina's Gamecock Invitational, opening the tournament against SEC member South Carolina while also facing ACC member Georgia Institute of Technology and Jacksonville University later in the weekend. Jacksonville earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament last season after winning the Atlantic Sun Tournament.

Gardner-Webb hosts Appalachian State, a Southern Conference semifinalist last season, in its first home match of the season on September 2nd before traveling to Niagara's Tournament on September 5th and 6th, where the Runnin' Bulldogs will face the University of West Virginia (Big XII), Providence College, and host Niagara.

After a short trek to Furman University on September 9th, the Runnin' Bulldogs will travel to Lubbock, Texas to participate in Texas Tech's Tournament, where they will battle Texas State University, University of the Incarnate Word, and host Big XII school Texas Tech. Texas State won a berth to the NCAA Tournament last season, winning the Sun Belt Tournament before falling to No. 1 Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Runnin' Bulldogs return home for a non-conference bout with UNC Charlotte on September 16th before squaring off with USC Upstate, Tennessee Tech, and Wofford in Wofford's Tournament on September 19th and 20th, which includes a home match against Tennesse Tech on the 20th.

Gardner-Webb will then host North Carolina A&T the following afternoon before playing its final non-conference match of the season at Western Carolina on September 24th.

The Runnin' Bulldogs will open Big South Conference play two days later, hosting UNC Asheville (Sept. 26), Liberty (Oct. 3) and Radford (Oct. 4) in three straight home matches to open their conference slate.

Following a trio of road tilts at Presbyterian (Oct. 10), Winthrop (Oct. 11) and UNC Asheville (Oct. 17), Gardner-Webb will return home for a Friday-Saturday double dip with Coastal Carolina (Oct. 24) and Charleston Southern (Oct. 25).

Gardner-Webb then hits the road again at Campbell (Oct. 31) and High Point (Nov. 1) before taking the court in Paul Porter Arena for its final two home matches against Winthrop (Nov. 7) and Presbyterian (Nov. 8), when it will celebrate its 2014 senior class.

The Runnin' Bulldogs will wrap up the 2014 regular season at Radford on November 14th and Liberty on November 15th ahead of the Big South Tournament, which will take place from November 20th to 23rd on the campus of Coastal Carolina.

To look at the full 2014 schedule, click here.