UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania – The Penn State men's volleyball team announced its 24-match schedule for the 2021 season Monday afternoon. The Nittany Lions are set to play four nonconference matches against Ohio State and a modified 20-match slate for EIVA conference action.
Matches begin as soon as this weekend, Jan. 22-23, when the 11th-ranked Nittany Lions take on the No. 14 Buckeyes in Columbus. Both teams will then play the following weekend in State College Jan. 29-30.
This year's conference slate features 10, two-match series weekends for the Nittany Lions against five other EIVA opponents: Charleston, George Mason, NJIT, Sacred Heart and Saint Francis. Ivy League programs Harvard and Princeton are not included in this schedule after the Ivy League's decision to not have athletic competition for spring sports until at least March 1, 2021.
Penn State will begin conference competition hosting Saint Francis Feb. 4-5 and NJIT Feb. 13-14. The Nittany Lions will then head to Sacred Heart Feb. 10-21 before returning home for two more series against George Mason Feb. 26-27 and Charleston March 5-6.
PSU's next six games will feature the exact order of the teams above but at flipped locations, starting with both Saint Francis March 12-13 and NJIT March 19-20 on the road and Sacred Heart at Rec Hall March 26-27. The Nittany Lions wrap up the regular season with their road series at George Mason April 2-3 and Charleston April 9-10.
In addition, the 2021 EIVA Tournament will feature all six teams listed above with seeds 3-6 playing first round matches April 16-18 with the higher seed as the match hosts, followed by the semifinals and championship match hosted by the regular-season champions April 22-25.
For Penn State's latest 2021 schedule, click here. Additional matches, opponents, dates and times may be announced at a later date and all matches are subject to change.
The EIVA has also implemented safety protocols for the 2021 season, including a mandate that masks or face coverings will be required on the court.
For the EIVA's full release click here.
The Nittany Lions are coming off an 11-8 overall season in 2020 with a perfect 7-0 mark in EIVA play before the abrupt halt of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PSU was ranked 11th in the AVCA Division I-II preseason poll for 2021.
Penn State's roster features 12 returners from last season's team, including EIVA Uvaldo Acosta Memorial Co-Player of the Year Brett Wildman and All-EIVA honorees Will Bantle, Cole Bogner and Cal Fisher.
To see Penn State's full 2021 roster, click here.
For more information on Penn State men's volleyball, follow the Nittany Lions on Twitter @PennStateMVBALL and Instagram @pennstatemvball and "like" the Penn State men's volleyball page on Facebook.
