FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern volleyball team and head coach Jennifer King announce the 2017 volleyball schedule that is slated to begin on Sept. 1 with the 10th-Annual Shark Invitational. The Sharks will face some tough competition in 2017, matching up against three nationally-ranked teams and six teams that advanced to the 2016 NCAA National Tournament.
 
"Our 2017 schedule provides great challenges in the first two weekends with NCAA tournament teams and members of extremely competitive conferences," explained King. "Minnesota Duluth will be the biggest challenge at the Shark Invitational, as they are almost always in the Top 5 of the AVCA Coaches Poll. We are excited to be across the net from them to see how we match up!"
 
The Shark Invitational, which takes place during the first weekend of September, will see the Sharks square off against Post, Lenior Rhyne and Tusculum, in addition to UMD. The weekend following, the Sharks will continue tournament play as they head to Saint Leo, Fla. to compete in the Saint Leo Invitational. While there, the team will play in four matches on Sept. 8 and 9 against West Texas A&M, Truman State, University of Montevallo and University of Sioux Falls.
 
Following the Saint Leo Invitational, the Sharks will kick off Sunshine State Conference play with a road game against Lynn on Sept. 15. NSU will return for a single home game the next day against Barry, before hitting the road for a pair of games against Embry-Riddle and Florida Tech that weekend. A four-game home stretch will begin the next weekend, as the Sharks welcome Eckerd on Sept. 29, 2016 SSC Champion Saint Leo on Sept. 30, and No. 6 Palm Beach Atlantic and Rollins on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7, respectively.
 
The SSC/Gulf South Conference Crossover will take place in Birmingham, Ala. on Oct. 13-14, where the Sharks will compete against three South Region foes. Schedule for the tournament will be released the Sunday before (Oct. 8).
 
Nova Southeastern will return to SSC play with a pair of road games against Tampa, who finished 24^th in the final AVCA National Coaches Poll last season, and Florida Southern. Both teams earned bids to the National Tournament in 2016.
 
On Oct. 27, 28 and 31, the Sharks will host Florida Tech, Embry-Riddle and Lynn, respectively, before a stretch of five road SSC games. NSU will host its final two games of the 2017 season, welcoming Florida Southern and Tampa to the Rick Case Arena on Nov. 17 and 18, respectively.
 
Two major notables returning for the Sharks are 2016 SSC Second-Team selection Denvyr Tyler-Palmer and libero Megan Burns. Tyler-Palmer led the Sharks offensively in 2016, averaging 3.78 kills per set, fifth-best in the conference. The outside hitter recorded 15 separate double-doubles, recording double-digit kills in all but five of her 27 matches played. As a sophomore, Burns eclipsed the 1,000 career-dig mark with 1,095, ranking her seventh in NSU history. She also set two records for digs in a single match and digs in a single season with 39 and 691, respectively.
 
"Denvyr and Megan are going to be the core of our lineup as the only returning multi-year starters," said King. "They bring a poise and a drive that will resonate with the group, and especially with our young roster."
 
Returning nine in total, the Sharks welcome seven newcomers in Amanda Pultorak, Nicole Rivera, Maya Patterson, Gabby Bauch, Rachael Nelson and Arielle Battenberg, all of which are freshmen, and junior transfer Sydney Lemon.
 
"We'll have a lot of teaching to do with six freshman, but their athleticism, experience, and eagerness to learn will make the teaching that much more enjoyable," described King.
 
For a full version of the 2017 volleyball schedule, CLICK HERE.