Players not required to wear masks during NCAA Tournament matches

Players on the court will be permitted to compete maskless in the biggest event of the college men’s volleyball season.

The NCAA confirmed to Off the Block that players when competing in NCAA Tournament matches will not be required to wear a mask.

Players wearing masks during matches has been common among teams with this season taking place in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The ConfCarolinas, EIVA and MIVA have required all players, both those off the court and on the court, to wear masks this season. Individual teams in the MPSF also opted to have their players wear masks.

While the NCAA will not require masks for the players, individual players and teams can still wear masks during the NCAA Tournament.

The NCAA considers volleyball a high transmission risk sport for the coronavirus. As a result, members of each team in the NCAA Tournament will undergo multiple coronavirus tests, according to NCAA policy.

Individuals before the tournament must be tested three times on non-consecutive days during a week and have a negative test within two days of arriving at the event. In addition, individuals will be tested when they arrive at the NCAA Tournament, must quarantine until two consecutive negative tests and then will be tested daily throughout the tournament.

The seven-team NCAA Tournament starts Monday, May 3 with the play-in match and then the two opening round matches the following day. The top-two teams will receive byes to the semifinals that begin Thursday, May 6.

All six NCAA Tournament matches will be played at the Covelli Center on the Ohio State campus.