Preview: UVA Volleyball Heads to College Park for Three-Match Tournament

Virginia opens its season against Maryland, Hofstra, and Central Connecticut State this weekend at the Maryland Invite Tournament

The Virginia Cavaliers volleyball team begins its 2021 season with three matches in College Park, Maryland as part of the Maryland Invite tournament this weekend. UVA will play against Maryland on Friday at 7pm, Hofstra on Saturday at 10:30am, and finally, Central Connecticut State at 4:30pm on Saturday.

On Friday night, Virginia will revive an old ACC rivalry against Maryland. The two programs have met 59 times, but this will be the first meeting between the schools since Maryland left the ACC to join the Big Ten in 2014. Maryland leads the all-time series 37-22, but the Cavaliers won the last match, 3-1, on November 30th, 2013. The Terrapins went 5-15 in the 2020-21 season, playing only Big Ten opponents.

Virginia will face Hofstra on Saturday morning, renewing a series that dates back to 1982. Hofstra leads the all-time series 7-2 and the Pride won the first seven matches between the two teams. The Cavaliers have won the last two matches, including a straight-set victory in 2017, which was the first match between the two programs since 1992. Hofstra had a 3-4 overall record in the 2020-21 season and had five matches postponed or canceled due to Covid.

In the final match of the tournament on Saturday afternoon, Virginia will face Central Connecticut State in what will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Blue Devils had a 4-4 overall record out of the Northeast Conference last season. CCSU also had a .500 record in 2019, going 15-15 and 10-6 conference play.

All three matches will take place at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland and the games will be broadcast on Big Ten Network+.

After a disappointing and tumultuous 2020-21 season, Virginia will be looking for a strong start this weekend as the Cavaliers turn the page and begin a new era of UVA volleyball under the direction of new head coach Shannon Wells.

Check out our full preview of the Virginia Volleyball 2021 Season.