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Volleyball Season Kicks off August 29; Home Opener September 10

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (07/03/2025) — Fresh off the best season in more than a decade, the Monmouth College volleyball team starts a new era with a 25-game schedule and five different weekend trips to start the season. The 2025 campaign will be the first under new coach Hope Neargarder as the Scots look to return to the MWC Tournament.

The Scots start the season with a tournament at Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin on August 29-30. Monmouth is scheduled to play Wisconsin-LaCrosse on Friday with matches against Marian and Benedictine on Saturday. The Scots fell to UWL last season, haven't played Marian since 2022 and last faced Benedictine more than a decade ago.

Another weekend event in Wisconsin takes the Scots to Milwaukee for the Wisconsin Lutheran Tri-Match on September 5-6. The Scots play the hosts on Friday night and former MWC rivals St. Norbert on Saturday. Monmouth lost at UWL last September and the teams have split six matches all-time. The Scots and Green Knights haven't met since 2019 with St. Norbert leading the series 28-3.

The home opener is set for Wednesday, September 10 as the Scots host CCIW powerhouse Millikin. The Big Blue reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament last year with a 31-6 record and a first round win over Cornell. The Scots trail the all-time series 29-6 and the teams haven't met since 2011.

Monmouth heads back to Wisconsin for a third weekend event September 12-13 with three games in LaCrosse. The Scots face Wisconsin-Superior on Friday before Saturday games against Martin Luther and St. Scholastica. The Scots are 1-0 against both UWS and St. Scholastica and have never met Martin Luther in volleyball.

On Saturday, September 20, the Scots head to Jacksonville for two matches at the Illinois College Tournament. Monmouth faces Kenyon for the first time ever in the first match before playing Nebraska Wesleyan in the second match. UNW beat the Scots in five sets last year and leads the series 5-1.

Monmouth finishes September with two matches at Augustana on Saturday, September 27. First the Scots will play future MWC foe Luther College before also facing off against the host. Monmouth beat Luther last season and are 5-7 all-time against the Norse. Augustana has won seven straight against the Scots and lead the series 32-23-2.

The Scots start October against another CCIW opponent with a trip to Elmhurst. The October 4 matchup is the first in more than a decade against the Bluejays, who have won all three previous encounters.

The Scots play their first home match in a month when they take the court against Central College on Thursday, October 9. This begins a stretch of six straight home games in a 13-day span. The Scots and Dutch last met in 2023 and Central leads the series 14-2.

Defending MWC champion Cornell comes to Glennie Gym the next night as Monmouth kicks off Fall Break. The 7 p.m. match marks the second year in a row the Rams have come to Monmouth. They have won 14 matches in a row but the overall series is tied 33-33.

During Homecoming week, the Scots play at home three times, starting when they host Webster University on Wednesday, October 15. The Scots won in St. Louis last year 3-1 and have won three straight against the Gorlocks, leading the series 6-4.

Back into conference play, Monmouth hosts Lake Forest at 7 p.m. on Friday night of Homecoming weekend. The Scots won their second straight against the Foresters in 2024 and lead the all-time series 21-17.

Homecoming Saturday brings the Lawrence Vikings to town for a Noon matchup on October 18. The Scots swept the Vikings for a fifth straight time in 2024 and lead the all-Time series 23-10.

The final game in the home stand brings rival Knox to Glennie Gym on Wednesday, October 22. The Scots beat Knox twice in 2024 and have won seven straight against the Prairie Fire for a 71-21 overall record. This will be the final home match of the regular season.

The Scots head back to Jacksonville on Saturday, October 25 for two matches. The Scots face Illinois College in MWC action and then play a neutral site game against Wisconsin-Platteville. The Scots beat IC last year at home but trail the all-time series 24-17. Monmouth is 0-7 against the Pioneers with no matches since 2016.

October finishes with a Halloween night match at Beloit. The Scots have won five in a row against the Buccaneers and lead the all-time series 27-8.

November starts with a Saturday afternoon match at Grinnell. The Pioneers beat the Scots twice last November, including a win in the MWC Tournament semifinals. Monmouth leads the all-time series 47-24 but have lost nine in a row.

The final match of the regular season sees the Scots head to Ripon, Wisconsin for a second straight season on Saturday, November 8. The Scots won at Ripon last year and lead the all-time series 19-15.

Overall the Scots are scheduled to play 25 games, seven at home, eight on the road and 10 at a neutral site. Fifteen games are set for Saturday while the Scots play six times on Friday, three on Wednesday and once on Thursday. Monmouth plays 14 times in Illinois, 10 times in Wisconsin and just once in Iowa.

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