NSU releases schedule

First-year Nicholls State volleyball coach Patrick Hiltz said he wants to turn the Colonels into one of the top programs within the Southland Conference.

He will find out right away how much work needs to be done to make that goal a reality.

The Nicholls State Athletic Department released the volleyball team’s 2012 schedule last Tuesday.

Featured in the three-month slate are games against three 2011 NCAA Tournament teams, which makes Nicholls’ schedule one of its hardest in years.

“I asked the team what they wanted to do in terms of scheduling, and without hesitation they wanted to play some of the best teams in the country, and our schedule this year does just that,” Hiltz said.

The Colonels will kick off their campaign at the Missouri Tiger Invitation, hosted by Mizzou, from Aug. 24-25.

While there, Nicholls will take on Missouri, Virginia Tech, North Florida and also 2011 Sweet 16 team Michigan.

Once home from Missouri, Nicholls will play the first of its 14 home games, beginning with the Third-Annual Nicholls Bayou Invitational, which will be held from Aug. 31-Sept. 1.

The Colonels will host UL-Monroe, CSU-Bakersfield, Grambling and defending SWAC Champion Jackson State in the field.

After the home tournament, the Colonels will again hit the road and will play in the Southern Illinois Classic before closing its non-conference season with a road match at UNO, Nicholls opens Conference play on Sept. 13 with a home tilt against Lamar. Two days later, the Colonels will host McNeese State in another Southland match.

Following the home-heavy start, Nicholls will make its longest road trip of the season and will play Central Arkansas on Sept. 20 and Oral Roberts on Sept. 22 before returning home.

The 2012 slate will be Nicholls’ first under its new coach.

The Colonels were 18-14 last season – one of the team’s best records in recent years.

The team’s success featured a 13-match winning streak.

But Nicholls failed to reach the Southland Conference Tournament after just a 5-11 record in the league.

Following the season coach TeAna Tramel resigned for personal reasons, paving the way for the Hiltz era to begin.

Below is Nicholls’ complete 2012 volleyball schedule:

Aug. 24-25 @ 2012 Missouri Tiger Invitational

Aug. 31 vs. Cal State Bakersfield**

Sept. 1 vs. Jackson State**

Sept. 1 vs. UL-Monroe**

Sept. 7-8 @ 2012 Southern Illinois Classic

Sept. 11 @ UNO

Sept. 13 vs. Lamar*

Sept. 15 vs. McNeese State*

Sept. 20 @ Central Arkansas*

Sept. 22 @ Oral Roberts

Sept. 27 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi*

Sept. 29 vs. Sam Houston State*

Oct. 2 vs. UNO

Oct. 4 @ Grambling

Oct. 6 vs. Southeastern Louisiana*

Oct. 11 @ Stephen F. Austin*

Oct. 13 @ Northwestern State*

Oct. 16 @ Lamar*

Oct. 18 vs. Central Arkansas*

Oct. 20 vs. Oral Roberts*

Oct. 23 @ McNeese State*

Oct. 25 vs. Northwestern State*

Oct. 27 vs. Stephen F. Austin*

Nov. 1 @ Texas A&M-Corpus Christi*

Nov. 3 @ Sam Houston State*

Nov. 10 @ Southeastern Louisiana*

*denotes Southland Conference match

** denotes match is part of 2012 Nicholls Bayou Invitational

Other Nicholls news: Colonels nab Minnesota transfer

While the Nicholls State volleyball team inched closer to its 2012 season, the Colonels football team did the same, getting one of its biggest commitments in the new class.

Nicholls football coach Charlie Stubbs announced Thursday afternoon that New Orleans native and former University of Minnesota linebacker Dwayne Mitchell has signed a scholarship with the team and will join the Colonels for the 2012 season.

A 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pound linebacker, Mitchell will have three years of eligibility in Thibodaux.

The former Karr High School standout spent two seasons with the Golden Gophers, redshirting in one and playing primarily special teams last season.

Before joining Minnesota’s program, Mitchell established himself as one of the top prep football players in Louisiana for the 2008-09 seasons.

In 2009 with Mitchell commanding the team’s defense, the Cougars posted an 11-2 record and advanced to the third round of the state playoffs.

Mitchell was a Class 4A All-State selection that season – the second time in his career he earned that honor.

He is Karr’s all-time career sacks leader with 28 sacks.

Mitchell was a 2-star prospect by Rivals.com out of high school and his commitment would make him the 22nd player to join the team’s 2012 recruiting class.

His signing also marks the second-straight season that the Colonels nab a linebacker from a BCS conference.

Last year, the Colonels signed Ole Miss transfer Brandon Sanders.

He missed most of 2011 with a neck injury.