FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – For the first time since Nov. 23, 2019, the Nova Southeastern volleyball program will return to the court on Fri., Sept. 3 for the official start of the much-anticipated 2021 season. This fall marks season two under head coach Brian Rosen, who turned the Sharks program around in 2019, guiding NSU to 20 wins, including 12 victories in Sunshine State Conference action.

"I have never been more excited about a schedule release in my coaching career - not playing against another opponent since Nov. of 2019 will do that to you," said Rosen. "We finished the 2019 season as one of the best teams in the conference, winning our last six matches against four teams that made the NCAA Tournament.

"However, not making the tournament ourselves left us determined to change the ending in 2020," Rosen continued. "COVID-19 may have canceled our season, but it has not changed our goals. We want to compete in the SSC and make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in over 10 years."

NSU's 2021 schedule features 31 matches overall, including 18 at the Rick Case Arena.

Following a three-match preseason slate that features a trip to Coral Gables to face off against the University of Miami, the 2021 regular season will begin in the Rick Case Arena, as the Sharks host the 13th Annual Shark Invitational, welcoming Quincy (Ill.), Pittsburg State, Central State (Ohio), Stonehill (Mass.) and SSC rivals Lynn and Florida Southern. The Sharks' first pair of matches will be on Fri., Sept. 3, taking on Central State and Pittsburg State. NSU will play Quincy and Stonehill on Sept. 4.

Following the first Shark Invitational, NSU will host another exciting tournament, bringing in Findlay (Ohio), Millersville (Pa.), Auburn University-Montgomery (Ala.), Dominican College (N.Y.), Barton College (N.C.), as well as Barry, from Sept. 10-11. NSU will compete against Dominican and Auburn-Montgomery on Fri., Sept. 10, before battling Millersville and Barton on Sat., Sept. 11.

"We start the preseason with scrimmages against [NCAA Division 1 opponents] Florida International and the University of Miami to get our competitive fins wet," added Rosen. "We get the opportunity to host back-to-back invitationals to start our season, similar to 2019. We have 13 amazing programs from all over the country competing in our arena to kick off the season. We hope to continue our six-game winning streak, preparing ourselves for the brutal SSC schedule ahead."

NSU begins SSC action on the road against Lynn on Tues., Sept. 14, and will host Palm Beach Atlantic for the first home SSC match on Sept. 17. NSU embarks on a brief two-match road trip, playing Eckerd (9/24) and Saint Leo (9/25). NSU returns to the Rick Case Arena, taking on Embry-Riddle (9/30) and Rollins (10/2). The Sharks' longest road trip of the season includes four SSC matches, opening with a trip to Tampa (10/8) to clash with the Spartans before taking on Florida Southern (10/9), Barry (10/15), and Florida Tech (10/16).

"There is no conference like ours," stated Rosen. "Every match is competitive, and if you don't bring your best, you will go home with a loss. Our team knows what it takes to be successful, and we hope to bring our momentum from 2019 into our conference season. There is quite an unknown because we haven't seen anyone play in almost two years. So much will be different with rosters, but we know the level of student-athletes our conference recruits, so we expect high-level volleyball every day."

Following the four-game SSC road trip, the Sharks will for a three-match tournament in Winter Haven, Fla., to compete in the Region Crossover on from Oct. 22-23.
NSU will end the regular season with 7-of-10 matches at the Rick Case Arena, which features a four-game homestand against Florida Southern (11/11), Tampa (11/13), Barry (11/19), and the regular-season finale on Nov. 20 against Florida Tech.

"In 2019, our team goal was to beat everyone at least once, which we came so close to accomplishing," Rosen concluded. "This year, our goals are even bigger, and we cannot wait to get started. Go Sharks!"

The NCAA Division II postseason begins with regional play on Dec. 1. If the Sharks finish the season ranked among the Top-8 teams in the South Region, or if the Sharks win the SSC Regular Season Championship (the SSC does not have a conference tournament for volleyball), NSU will qualify for the 64-team postseason field.

To stay up-to-date with the Sharks throughout the season, follow them on Twitter at @NSU_VB and on Instagram at @NSU_VBall.