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DENTON, Texas (5/28/09) The North Texas volleyball team returns the largest crop of lettermen in school history in 2009, and is slated to compete in 16 matches against teams inside the RPI top 152 and host the longest homestand in over 20 years.

The Mean Green is returning every letterman, including all seven starters, to the floor in 2009, which gives head coach Cassie Headrick confidence as the 2009 schedule pits her squad against some of the nation’s best.

“I think we are all really looking forward to what 2009 has in store for North Texas volleyball,” Headrick said. “We are certainly facing a challenging schedule, but I think our young team is responding well with a year under its belt and will look to make a statement. I think this schedule is one that our fans can really get excited about.”

After facing the longest road trip in school history in 2008, NT will play seven straight Sun Belt matches at the Mean Green Volleyball Center between Oct. 26 and Nov. 9. The streak is the longest conference homestand in school history and the longest overall since 1987. North Texas will host Denver, UALR, Arkansas State, ULM, New Orleans and Louisiana-Lafayette in the homestand.

For a second straight year, North Texas kicks off the season with the Mean Green Volleyball Classic on Aug. 28-29. NT gets to crank up an old rivalry when it plays host to New Mexico State, as well as start new a couple of new ones with UT-San Antonio and Northern Colorado. SMU will also appear in the tournament to face the other visiting schools.

After a trip to Rochester, Mich., for the Oakland University Invitational, North Texas will take on Arkansas, Kansas and Samford at the Lady Razorback Invitational. The Mean Green also heads down I-45 to face Central Michgan, Sam Houston and Lamar in the Sam Houston Invite in Huntsville, Texas on Sept. 18-19.

North Texas also has two stand-alone non-conference matches, starting with Metroplex rival SMU on Sept. 2 in Dallas. Stephen F. Austin makes a trip to the MGVC on Sept. 22, as the Mean Green look to snap an eight-match losing streak to the Lady Jacks.

The Sun Belt Conference continued to take major steps forward last year. The league sent three teams to the 2008 NCAA Tournament for the first time in league history, a feat only the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac 10 conferences can match. Of those NCAA Tournament teams, NT will host Florida International on Oct. 11, and will face Middle Tennessee and league champion Western Kentucky on the road.

The Mean Green will also host Florida Atlantic (Oct. 9), Denver (Oct. 26), UALR (Oct. 30), Arkansas State (Nov. 1), ULM (Nov. 6), New Orleans (Nov. 7) and Louisiana-Lafayette (Nov. 9).

This year’s Sun Belt Championship will take place at Western Kentucky in Bowling Green from Nov. 19-21.