Courtesy of North Carolina Central Athletics
DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team has announced its 23-match schedule for the fall of 2023. NCCU will host Duke University for the first time in its modern era to highlight its home slate, while other focal points include a pair of in-state tournaments and 14 league matches.
All fans should mark their calendars for back-to-back home matches on Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 13-14, when NCCU hosts Duke and Santa Clara University. The Eagles will entertain their Durham neighbors for the first time since the university joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 2011-12 (13 seasons) when the Blue Devils step inside McDougald-McLendon Arena on that Wednesday. NCCU will then host the Santa Clara Broncos for the first time just one day later in an afternoon matinee at 4 p.m. The match against the California-based volleyball program will be NCCU’s last tune up before league play.
The 23 total regular season matches will feature 10 home matches for the maroon and gray. NCCU’s non-conference play will include a stretch of seven consecutive matches against fellow in-state programs. The Eagles will cap the regular season with 14 straight competitions against league opponents.
NC Central will make its home debut against Gardner-Webb University on Friday, Sept. 1, as part of a two-day, home-and-away Labor Day weekend series between the Eagles and the Runnin’ Bulldogs.
Before that home opener, fans will have a chance to get a first glimpse of the 2023 NCCU volleyball team at its annual Maroon and Gray scrimmage that is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 6 p.m.
NCCU will open up its regular season with two matches at the UNC Asheville Invitational on Friday-Saturday, Aug. 25-26. The Eagles will begin the campaign against Alabama A&M before playing the host Bulldogs a day later.
The Eagles will then return to the Phoenix Volley for Unity for a third consecutive season on the weekend of Friday-Saturday, Sept. 9-10. NCCU begin the event against Western Carolina University on that Friday before playing host Elon University on Saturday.
Three days after NCCU plays GWU in Boiling Springs, the Eagles then travel to Campbell University for a match on Tuesday, Sept. 5, during a stretch in which NCCU will play seven non-conference matches over the first 14 days of September, capped with the marquee matches against Duke and Santa Clara.
NCCU will once again play two matches (home-and-away) against the other seven league institutions for a total of 14 conference clashes. All home league showdowns will be contested on either Friday’s or Sunday’s with dates against Morgan State University (Sept. 29), Coppin State University (Oct. 1), Norfolk State University (Oct. 20), Howard University (Oct. 22), University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Nov. 3), Delaware State University (Nov. 5) and South Carolina State University (Nov. 10).
The home finale on Friday, Nov. 10 against the SCSU Bulldogs will serve as NCCU’s Senior Night.
The 2023 MEAC Volleyball Championship will be hosted by Delaware State in Dover on Friday-Sunday, Nov. 17-19.
