Volleyball announces 2021 Fall Schedule

Schedule | Schedule (PDF)

MILWAUKEE – A preseason tournament at Hawaii and visits from reigning-NCAA Champion Kentucky and semifinalist Wisconsin highlight the 2021 fall schedule for the Marquette University women's volleyball team.

"We are excited for the challenge this schedule provides," Marquette head coach Ryan Theis said. "We have multiple conference champions, NCAA participants and two Final Four teams, including this spring's National Champion in our home opener. We will be pushed early and often in preparation for BIG EAST play."

Schedule Highlights:

Aug. 27-29, Rainbow Wahine Classic in Hawaii
Sept. 3-5, at Redbird Classic in Normal, Ill.
Sept. 11, home opener vs. defending national champion, Kentucky
Sept. 12, vs. Wisconsin
Sept. 17-18, Marquette Invitational
Sept. 24, BIG EAST opener at Villanova
Oct. 1, BIG EAST home opener vs. UConn
Oct. 10, at Creighton
Oct. 29, vs. Creighton
Nov. 20, regular season finale vs. Villanova
Nov. 26-27, BIG EAST Championship

The Golden Eagles begin the fall with two road tournaments, starting with the Rainbow Wahine Classic on Aug. 27-29 in Hawaii. Marquette opens the season with a Friday, Aug. 27 match against Texas A&M before facing event-host Hawai'i on Saturday and Fairfield on Sunday.

A Labor Day Weekend trip to Illinois State for the Redbird Classic is the second tournament of the fall starting with a Friday, Sept. 3 showdown with UIC. The Golden Eagles then square off against Theis and assistant coach Meghan Keck's former squad, Ohio University, before a Sunday matinee against the host Redbirds. MU and ISU split a pair of meetings during the spring of 2021.

Defending NCAA Champion Kentucky heads to the Al McGuire Center on Saturday, Sept. 11 for the home opener and the Golden Eagles welcome another NCAA semifinalist in Wisconsin to Milwaukee on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. MU and UW did not meet last season, but the Golden Eagles defeated then-No. 4 Wisconsin in the fall of 2019 in their last meeting.

The Marquette Invitational is set for Friday, Sept. 17 and Saturday, Sept. 18 with Northern Iowa, Wright State and UTSA coming to Milwaukee for the annual event.

BIG EAST Conference action begins on Friday, Sept. 24 at Villanova and a trip to Georgetown the following afternoon. Marquette's first home league match is slated for Friday, Oct. 1 against UConn in what will be MU's first matchup with the Huskies since the BIG EAST reformed prior to the 2013 campaign. The Golden Eagles are 6-3 all-time against UConn overall and 5-3 in BIG EAST play. MU has won the last three meetings against the Huskies (2010-12) by 3-1 margins.

Following the match against UConn, MU plays its next three matches on the road and five of its first six BIG EAST matches away from home. In total, the Golden Eagles play only eight of their 18 BIG EAST contests at the Al McGuire Center this year.

"This will be the first season with UConn back in the BIG EAST, so we won't get the usual round robin," Theis said of the scheduling changes. "It is our year in the rotation to have 10 on the road with only eight home matches."

Marquette's two matches against rival Creighton are Sunday, Oct. 10 in Omaha and Friday, Oct. 29 at the Al McGuire Center.

The Golden Eagles close out the regular season with four of six matches in November on the road and the BIG EAST Women's Volleyball Championship slated for Friday, Nov. 26 and Saturday, Nov. 27 at a yet-to-be-announced location.

Keep up with the Marquette University women's volleyball program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteVB) and Instagram (@MarquetteVB) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteVolleyball).

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