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One of the top teams in the SIAC will make multiple trips to the West Coast for non-conference matches during the upcoming season.
Central State as part unveiling its 2024 schedule announced it will have a three-match trip to California in January and then return a month later for the Big West/SIAC Crossover.
Central State will open its early-season West Coast road trip against Concordia before playing USC and CSUN. In addition, the team in February will face Long Beach State and UC San Diego in the inaugural Big West and SIAC event.
This will be the first time the Marauders will play a team from the MPSF or Big West in their three-year program history.
Central State after winning the inaugural SIAC championship in 2022 advanced to the SIAC Tournament Finals last season. The team, though, will have to replace multiple All-SIAC starters from last year’s team and will have a roster primarily comprised of freshmen.
Three of the five West Coast teams that Central State will play – Long Beach State, USC and CSUN – were nationally ranked throughout the 2023 season.
The Beach received one of the two at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament semifinals. Among the All-American starters returning for Long Beach State includes outside attacker Sotiris Siapanis who in the nation’s top 50 with a 3.21 kills per game average.
The Marauders will have two non-conference matches versus teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last season.
Along with playing Long Beach State, Central State will open the season on the road against Penn State.
This upcoming season will be the first time a SIAC school will qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA during the offseason approved the Division II conference receiving an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.