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There will be zero non-conference matches for Purdue Fort Wayne.
The Mastodons announced their regular season schedule for the upcoming season will only consist of 14 conference matches.
Purdue Fort Wayne in the shortened 2020 season played 10 non-conference matches, and this will be the first time in the team’s program history it will not play a non-conference match. The decision to eliminate non-conference matches comes as the college men’s volleyball teams are attempting to play the 2021 season in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Most NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball programs have significantly reduced their non-conference matches for 2021 because of the pandemic. However, the Mastodons are the first program to publicly announce they will not play any non-conference matches.
Purdue Fort Wayne in the recent MIVA Preseason Poll was picked to finish the conference season in fourth place.
Among the starters returning for the Mastodons include All-MIVA outside attacker Pelegrin Vargas and All-MIVA middle attacker Richie Diedrich. Both fifth-year players are coming back after the NCAA granted all men’s volleyball players an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic shortened 2020 season.
Along with the lack of non-conference matches, the Mastodons will change their conference schedule format.
Purdue Fort Wayne, and other MIVA teams, to reduce travel during the pandemic will not have home-and-home series against every conference opponent. Instead, the Mastodons will use the two-match series format and each week play the same team on back-to-back nights at the same venue.
Purdue FortWayne will have two-match home series against Quincy, Ohio State and McKendree. It also will open the season on the road against in-state rival Ball State and later in the season will have two-match road series versus Lewis and McKendree.
Loyola will be the only home-and-home series opponent for Purdue Fort Wayne in 2021.
Purdue Fort Wayne 2021 schedule
Feb. 5 at Ball State
Feb. 6 at Ball State
Feb. 12 vs. Quincy
Feb. 13 vs. Quincy
Feb. 19 at Lewis
Feb. 20 at Lewis
Feb. 27 at Loyola
March 12 vs. Loyola
March 19 vs. Ohio State
March 20 vs. Ohio State
March 27 vs. McKendree
March 28 vs. McKendree
April 2 at Lindenwood
April 3 at Lindenwood