Stiff Competition Awaits Men's Volleyball in 2017

2017 Men's Volleyball Schedule

WESTON, Mass. - Interim head coach Nikki Naccarato announced her 2017 slate of matches for the Regis (Mass.) men's volleyball team on Thursday highlighted by matches against three NCAA teams including round of eight opponents Wentworth and Kean, and NECC champion Endicott. In total, the Pride will play 30 matches, including six against Great Northeast Athletic Conference schools and 14 in the team's final season of New England Collegiate Conference play.

"I am really excited about the teams we have on the schedule for this year," Naccarato said. "Each team will challenge us and force us to be prepared each match as we look to achieve our goal of an NECC championship and NCAA Tournament berth."

The Pride opens its eighth season of varsity play on Tuesday, Jan. 24 hosting MIT at Higgins Court. The match is the first of two consecutive between the Pride and MIT, as the teams will meet again three days later at the Johnson & Wales (RI) Invitational. Regis will also face off with Lasell, Bard and the host Wildcats.

Regis begins conference play on Saturday, Feb. 2 against Lesley two days before hosting a pair of matches against Sage College and New Jersey City University. National power Wentworth (Feb. 7) then rolls into town fresh off a quarterfinal appearance in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, losing only to eventual national champion SUNY New Paltz.

Regis returns to conference play three days later looking to avenge an NECC semifinal upset from a year ago at Daniel Webster on Feb. 10 for its first of two matches against the Eagles.

The 2017 also features a slew of first-time opponents beginning Mar. 10 & 11 when the Pride travels to Thousand Oaks, Calif. to compete in the Posada Royale Invitational. Over two days, Regis will square off with NAIA opponents UC Merced and Benedictine University as well as UC Santa Cruz and Cal Lutheran. "(The trip) will allow us to see a different style of play, some of our players will get to play near their hometowns and hopefully increase visibility for our program," said Naccarato.

After returning from its trip west, the Pride dive into the final stretch of league play beginning with a home matchup against defending NECC champion Endicott (Mar. 14) with the return matchup against the Gulls slated for the final day of the regular season on March 8.

The Pride will also get its first look at Eastern Nazarene and Kean. Regis will visit ENU on Feb. 16 and at Kean on Apr. 1. Kean finished the 2016 season with an impressive 31-7 mark and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament after beating Endicott in the opening round. The Cougars' season came to an end when they were swept by eventual national runner-up Springfield.

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