VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUVikings.com) – The Valley City State University women’s basketball team has released its schedule for the 2018-19 season, which starts Oct. 21 and includes a home-and-home series with the defending NAIA national champion. 

The Vikings will play defending national champ Dakota Wesleyan University in a pair of non-conference games Oct. 30 in Mitchell, S.D., and Feb. 13 in Valley City. VCSU is set to open the season Oct. 21 with a home game against Providence University College (Manitoba). It is one of 14 home games on the schedule. VCSU’s 32-game schedule includes 14 North Star Athletic Association conference games and 18 non-conference games. 

Valley City State is coming off a school-record 25 wins last season and an appearance at the NAIA National Tournament. Head coach Vanessa Keeler-Johnson has scheduled a challenging non-conference slate, including four games against NCAA Division II schools and four games against NAIA teams that advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division II National Tournament last season. 

Besides facing the defending national champion twice, the Vikings also play national semifinalist Northwestern College on Nov. 3 in Orange City, Iowa. VCSU will host University of Jamestown – which made the national quarterfinals last season – on Dec. 12. The Vikings and rival Jamestown Jimmies will play just once this season after Jamestown left the NSAA to join the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) on July 1. In their last meeting as conference foes VCSU defeated Jamestown to win the NSAA Tournament Championship last year. 

This season, the Vikings begin conference play Dec. 1 at Mayville State University. Of VCSU’s 14 conference games, the remaining 13 will be played after Jan. 1. VCSU home schedule is back-loaded this season with 10 of the 14 home dates coming after Jan. 1. 

The Vikings will host NCAA Division II foes Minot State University (Oct. 25) and Bemidji State University (Nov. 20). VCSU will play exhibition road games at Minot State (Nov. 27) and St. Cloud State (Nov. 10). VCSU’s non-conference slate also includes a two-game trip to Montana on Thanksgiving break, and a two-game trip to California over Christmas break. 

Valley City State University posted a 25-5 overall record last season, winning the NSAA Tournament Championship and advancing to the NAIA National Tournament for the fifth time in school history. The Vikings will likely enter the season as one of the favorites in the North Star Athletic Association.