Women’s basketball team releases full 2021-2022 schedule
The Utah Valley women’s basketball team just released their full schedule for the upcoming 2021-2022 season.
Tipping off on Nov. 9, the Wolverines will face Park University from the American Midwest Conference. Park University is an NAIA school and they will look to test themselves against this rising Wolverine program. This will be the first of a two-game home stand, with the second game on Nov. 11 versus Mountain West opponent Fresno State.
The Wolverines will then travel to nearby Cedar City to face off against Southern Utah in an interstate rivalry on Nov. 16. Before heading back home they will travel to Nevada to square up against the Wolf Pack of Nevada on Nov. 19. The Wolverines narrowly lost to the Wolf Pack in their last meeting in 2019, 60-57.
UVU will then return for a three-game home stand, the first of which will be played against Colorado Mesa on Nov. 23. The Wolverines have not faced off against CMU since 2009. Coming back from Thanksgiving, the VIkings of Portland State will visit Orem on Nov. 27. To cap off the home stretch UVU will take on another Mountain West opponent in UNLV on Dec.1. The Wolverines were set to face off against the Rebels for the first time last season but the game was canceled, so this will be the first meeting between the two teams.
On Dec. 9, the Wolverines will begin arguably the most difficult portion of their schedule, playing seven consecutive games on the road. UVU will first begin a back-to-back with a matchup against Montana on Dec. 9 before playing Montana State on Dec. 11. Following the trip to Montana, the Wolverines will face off against in-state rival Utah in Salt Lake City. The Wolverines are 0-7 against the Utes all-time. Finally, the Wolverines will wrap up non-conference play in Pocatello with a matchup against Idaho State.
The Wolverines begin conference play on Dec. 30 on the road against WAC newcomer Abilene Christian. Following that matchup UVU will kick off the new year at Tarleton State on Jan. 1. The Wolverines are historically 2-0 against the Texans, playing both matchups in the 2020-2021 season. They will wrap up a brutal seven-game road stretch at Dixie State on Jan. 8.
Finally returning home, the Wolverines host Seattle U on Jan. 13. On Jan. 15 the Wolverines will be tested against regular season champs of the 2020-2021 season California Baptist, who went 26-1 on the season and made it to the third round of the NIT. CBU would have been the WAC’s representative in the NCAA tournament, however they were still transitioning from being a division two program to division one.
The Wolverines will then set out on a short two-game road trip with games against UT Rio Grande Valley on Jan. 20 and another WAC newcomer in Lamar University on Jan. 22.
Returning from that road trip UVU will enjoy a three-game home stand. They will first play Chicago State on Jan. 27 then new WAC member Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 3. They will face the final WAC addition in Sam Houston State on Feb. 5.
On Feb. 10 the Wolverines will get a rematch against GCU, who narrowly defeated them in the WAC tournament in Las Vegas last season 54-57. Following the conference tournament rematch vs GCU, the Wolverines travel to face off against New Mexico State on Feb. 12.
The Wolverines will then get their second looks at both Tarleton State and Dixie State, with TSU traveling to the UCCU center on Feb. 16 and DSU on Feb. 19.
The Wolverines will then begin their last road trip of the regular season, first traveling to Seattle to play SU on Feb. 24 and then to Riverside California to get another crack at CBU.
To wrap up the regular season, UVU will host GCU on March 3 and NMSU in the regular season finale on March 5.
Finishing number two overall in the WAC last season, the Wolverines will look to challenge California Baptist for the top spot and secure their second straight NCAA tournament bid.
Sports Editor and Senior Staff Writer
Senior at Utah Valley University majoring in applied communications.