Volleyball Announces 2021 Schedule

Full 2021 Schedule

Volleyball Announces 2021 Schedule
Competitive schedule includes four NCAA Tournament participants

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall volleyball head coach Ari Aganus announced the Herd's 2021 schedule on Tuesday. The Herd will have nine matches at home.

Coach Aganus enters her third season leading the Thundering Herd as fans will be allowed back in the Cam Henderson Center this fall. Marshall also returns an experienced lineup that includes four all-conference performers in super seniors Ciara Debell, Sydney Lostumo and Destiny Leon as well as rising senior Sarah Schank. Leon was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and Schank brought home the league Libero of the Year award in her first collegiate season at the position.

"I'm really excited for this 2021 schedule," coach Aganus said. "We will be facing a lot of really tough competition to get us prepared for our Conference USA schedule. More than anything we're all looking forward to being back in the Cam in front of our family and friends to showcase all of the hard work this past spring and summer. It's going to be a special year!"

The Herd's list of opponents includes three conference champions and four NCAA Tournament participants. The collective 2021 spring record of these teams is 196-143 (.578).

Marshall's journey of 2021 will begin at home with the Marshall Invitational (Aug. 27-28). The Herd welcomes Alabama, Austin Peay and Miami (OH). Marshall then plays three more tournaments on the road before getting into C-USA action.

Following the Marshall Invitational, the Herd travels to Dayton, Ohio for the Wright State Invitational (Sept. 3-4). Marshall will take on DePaul, Wright State and Ball State. The Wright State Raiders finished the 2021 spring season with a 17-2 record, a perfect 14-0 in league play, and won the Horizon League Championship. The Raiders defeated Samford, 3-0, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling 3-0 in the second round to eventual National Title runners-up Texas. Wright State received votes in the final AVCA Top 25.

The Herd then moves on to the Southeast Missouri State Invitational (Sept. 10-11) and will face Southeast Missouri State, Kansas City, Arkansas State and former Conference USA member Memphis. The host Redhawks went 14-3 last season while Kansas City wrapped up the previous year with a 13-4 mark.

Marshall's final early season tournament will see some great competition at the Morehead Invitational (Sept. 16-18) against Morehead State, Pittsburgh and Toledo. The host Eagles were 17-2 last season with a 15-1 record in the Ohio Valley Conference and received votes in the final top 25 poll. Morehead State won the OVC Championship moving on to the NCAA Tournament where the Eagles defeated (RV) Creighton in the first round and then fell to No. 6 Florida in the second round. The Pittsburgh Panthers were 19-5 last year and went to the NCAA postseason for the fifth-straight year. The Panthers had a program history making season that saw NCAA Tournament wins over LIU (first round), No. 10 Utah (second round), No. 3 Minnesota (Sweet 16) before finally losing to No. 7 Washington in the Elite 8. Pitt, ranked No. 8 in the final AVCA poll, returns multiple All-Americans.

In Conference USA play, the Herd's schedule will resemble the 2021 spring slate as Marshall will take on the teams from the eastern division with two matches against each squad. The Herd begins league action at home against defending C-USA champs, WKU, on the road (Sept. 24-25). The Hilltoppers were 23-1 last season and only dropped six sets all year, with one going to Marshall. WKU ended the season in the Sweet 16 with a loss to eventual National Champions Kentucky and was ranked No. 16 in the final poll.

Marshall then comes home for the first time since the August Marshall Invitational to take on Middle Tennessee (Oct. 1-2). The Herd's other home opponents will be Old Dominion (Oct. 15-16) and FIU (Nov. 5-6) to end the regular season. Marshall will face Florida Atlantic (Oct. 8-9) and Charlotte (Oct. 22-23) on the road.

For all the latest information about Marshall volleyball, follow @HerdVolleyball on Twitter and Marshall University Volleyball on Facebook.

To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!

---HerdZone.com---

Players Mentioned

Ciara DeBell

Destiny Leon

Sydney Lostumo

Sarah Schank

Marshall University Athletics