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Erskine will begin the season playing for a national championship.
Coach Justin Brubaker confirmed to Off the Block the Fleet for their season opener will compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association Men’s Volleyball National Invitational Championships on Jan. 22-23 in Palos Heights, Illinois.
The NCCAA is an association of Christian colleges and coordinates national championship events in 19 college sports for its member schools. This is the second year the NCCAA has held a men’s volleyball championship event.
Erskine concluded the shortened 2020 season at 4-10 and in last place in the ConfCarolinas. Among the starters returning for the Fleet includes opposite Jacob Whyte, who as a freshman last season was in the nation’s top 40 averaging 3.05 kills per game.
Erskine along with the host school Trinity Christian are slated to compete in the eight-team NCCAA national championship. The rest of the tournament field for the two-day event has yet to be announced.
The tournament format will feature two four-team pools and a round-robin pool-play stage. The top team in each pool will qualify for the championship match.
The inaugural NCCAA men’s volleyball tournament last season was comprised of NCAA Division III and NAIA teams with Campbellsville defeating Ottawa-Arizona in the championship match.
The Fleet following this season-opening tournament will have five more non-conference matches throughout the 2021 season.
Erskine will have a home-and-home series against former ConfCarolinas member Limestone. It also will have road matches against Reinhardt and Tusculum along with a neutral site match versus Bluefield.
Erskine 2021 schedule
Jan. 22-23 at NCCAA National Championships
Jan. 27 at Reinhardt
Jan. 29 at Limestone
Feb. 3 at Emmanuel
Feb. 5 at Barton
Feb. 6 at Mount Olive
Feb. 12 vs. North Greenville
Feb. 13 vs. Limestone
Feb. 17 vs. Lees-McRae
Feb. 19 vs. King
Feb. 23 at Belmont Abbey
Feb. 26 vs. Barton
Feb. 27 vs. Mount Olive
March 5 vs. Bluefield (at Tusculum)
March 5 at Tusculum
March 19 vs. Belmont Abbey
March 26 at Lees-McRae
March 27 at King
April 1 at North Greenville
April 6 vs. Emmanuel