Urbana to play 30 matches in inaugural season

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Photo courtesy of Urbana Athletics

Jonathan Bates | Associate Editor

Urbana will be road tested in its inaugural season.

The Blue Knights recently unveiled its 2020 schedule that will feature 23 of 30 matches on the road or at a neutral site.

Urbana is slated to play 10 matches against fellow independents, seven matches against MIVA opponents, four matches against ConfCarolinas opponents, one against an EIVA opponent, four matches againstDivision III opponents, and three matches against NAIA opponents.

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As is the case with most independents, let alone a program just starting, a majority of Urbana’s matches will be on the road.

Urbana’s opponents are highlighted by two teams that won their resprective conferences in 2018 – Ohio State (MIVA) and King (ConfCarolinas) – as well as the 2019 MIVA champion, Lewis. Urbana will alsoplay a home-and-home series with the IVA Tournament champions, Lincoln Memorial.

That being said, all eyes are on Blue Knights first match,which happens to be at home – against North Greenville on Jan. 3. NorthGreenville is the only opponent of five playing home-and-home matches with Urbana, who is not a fellow independent.

Urbana will conclude their inaugural season April 17-18 at the IVA Tournament.

On Aug. 18, 2017, Urbana announced they were adding their 16th and 17th varsity sports – wrestling and men’s volleyball. Earlier this year, MotorMVB (now First Point Volleyball Foundation) announced a $10,000 grant to help establish the Urbana men’s volleyball program.

Urbana will be led by Andrew Palmer who was announced as theprogram’s first coach last June. Palmer’s prior collegiate coaching experienceincludes two seasons as an assistant coach at NAIA member, Robert Morris, aswell as serving as assistant coach and interim head coach for Division IIImember, Aurora. Urbana Executive Director of Athletics, Larry Cox cited Palmer’s background as a collegiate student-athlete and coach displayed hispassion, drive and commitment to the sport as the reason why he was the rightperson for the job.

Urbana 2020 schedule
Jan. 3 vs. North Greenville
Jan. 5 at Ohio State
Jan. 10 at King
Jan. 11 at Tusculum
Jan. 11 vs. Mount Olive (Neutral Site)
Jan. 14 vs. Wittenburg
Jan. 24 vs. Lewis
Jan. 25 vs. Loyola
Jan. 31 vs. McKendree
Feb. 1 vs. Lindenwood
Feb. 6 vs. Ball State
Feb. 7 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
Feb. 9 vs. Daemen
Feb. 9 vs. Lincoln Memorial
Feb. 16 at Alderson Broaddus
Feb. 22 vs. St. Xavier
Feb. 22 vs. Tusculum
Feb. 28 at Cincinnati Christian
Feb. 28 vs. Thomas More (Neutral Site)
March 7 at Daemen
March 7 vs. St. Francis-Brooklyn (Neutral Site)
March 10 at North Greenville
March 12 at Queens
March 13 at Lees-McRae
March 20 at Lincoln Memorial
March 22 at Mount Union
March 28 vs Alderson Broaddus
April 4 at Trine
April 4 at Adrian
April 11 at Charleston
April 17-18 – IVA Tournament