Fairleigh Dickinson to replace Kentucky State at First Point Challenge this weekend

Photo courtesy of Fairleigh Dickinson athletics

Coach Karl France is willing to have Fairleigh Dickinson play anyone – even if it is on a few days notice and requires traveling across the country.

Fairleigh Dickinson announced the first-year program will be a late addition to the tournament field at the First Point Volleyball Collegiate Challenge presented by Ogio this weekend in Austin, Texas.

“This will be an experience that these Knights will never forget,” France said in a statement. “Our team is grateful for the opportunity to be in the First Point Collegiate Challenge.”

This schedule changes come after another first-year program Kentucky State opted out of the non-conference tournament. The First Point Volleyball Collegiate Challenge is a neutral site, four-team event and will be the first NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball regular season matches played in Texas.

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Fairleigh Dickinson will open the event with matches against both the defending NCAA champions No. 1/2 Hawai’i and No. 14 Stanford on Friday. It also will conclude its tournament Saturday against Queens, which reached IVA Tournament finals last season.

The Knights could enter the First Point Volleyball Collegiate Challenge attempting to win their first match in program history.

Fairleigh Dickinson in its inaugural match lost to Long Island in four games last week. The team before traveling to Texas will have a road match against Sacred Heart on Wednesday.

The matches at First Point Volleyball Collegiate Challenge replaces Fairleigh Dickinson’s originally slated two-match series against NJIT this weekend.

NJIT has altered its schedule and will now have a two-match series versus Long Island with a home match on Friday and then a neutral site match at Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday.

Fairleigh Dickinson is competing as an independent this season and will compete in the NEC next season when the conference adds men’s volleyball.