INDIANAPOLIS - With the regular season approaching in two months, the Marian volleyball team has finalized all the details of its 2026 schedule, with head coach Ryan Bowerman set to embark on his second season at the helm of the Knights. The Knights begin the season on August 7 with an exhibition, with the regular season opening the following Friday, August 14.

The Knights are returning a roster of 11 from the 2025 season, which saw Marian post a record of 18-12 in head coach Ryan Bowerman's first season on the sidelines. Marian split their 18 Crossroads League matchups a season ago, and hosted the NAIA Opening Round, falling short in a tight four-set battle to the University of Mobile. 

Set to begin a new chapter of Marian volleyball, the Knights will welcome in nine new faces, as the Knights' roster of 20 will be tested in the team's 30-match regular season. 

In total, Marian will play 30 regular-season matchups this fall, and will compete in 16 matches against teams that qualified for the NAIA National Tournament a season ago. Adding in Marian's exhibition opponent of IU-Kokomo on August 7, Marian will play a total of 17 matches (13 teams) that competed beyond November 15 last season. 

The regular season opens with 13 matches in the month of August, with Marian competing at three different weekend tournaments in the month. The regular season opens at Olivet Nazarene on August 14 and 15 in the Tigers Kickoff Invite, and continues the following weekend at the annual University of Saint Francis Onset Invite. Marian will then play its first Crossroads League matchup with a road trip to Bethel University, and finish out the grueling month of August with a trip to Kokomo for a competitive IU-Kokomo Tournament.

At IU-Kokomo, Marian will play four matches against 2025 NAIA Tournament qualifiers in Cornerstone, Aquinas, Saint Xavier, and the University of the Cumberlands.

September begins with a road trip to Goshen College for the team's second CL matchup on September 2, with the first week of the month closing in Parkville, Missouri, as the Knights travel to the Park Labor Day Battle. 

Routine Crossroads League matches of Wednesday and Saturday play begin on September 9 when the Knights travel to Indiana Wesleyan, while the first home match of the season for Marian takes place on Saturday, September 12. The Knights host the University of Saint Francis in their home opener, settling in for a lengthy five-match homestand against CL foes. After taking on USF, Marian will play its next four matches in the month of September in the PE center, capping the homestand with a September 26 matchup against Huntington.

The first half of the CL season ends on September 30 at Mount Vernon Nazarene, turning the corner to October, where the team opens with three consecutive home matches in the month. Rival Indiana Wesleyan completes the home stretch on October 14, while a trip to USF on October 17 starts the team's final five road matchups of the regular season. The regular season then concludes on November 4, with Marian hosting Mount Vernon Nazarene.

The Crossroads League Tournament will be played on November 7, 11, and 14 this season, with higher seeds hosting throughout. Marian aims to host the NAIA Opening Round once again, with the game scheduled for November 21, all leading to a bid to play in Sioux City, Iowa, as one of the final 24 teams in the NAIA. 

Marian begins the season on August 7 at IU-Kokomo, taking on the Cougars in their lone preseason exhibition. 

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