The two-time defending ConfCarolinas champions will travel in the upcoming season for a showdown between two of the top Division II programs in the nation.
Belmont Abbey as part of unveiling its 2026 schedule announced it will play a road non-conference match against McKendree.
Both the Crusaders and Bearcats finished last season ranked in the Division II national coaches poll with McKendree finishing atop the poll.
Belmont Abbey upset Mount Olive in the conference tournament finals last season to become the first repeat ConfCarolinas champions since the conference started receiving a NCAA Tournament automatic berth.
Middle attacker Jibriel Elhaddad highlights the starters slated to return for the Crusaders. Elhaddad was in the nation’s top 15 with both a 1.14 blocks per game average and a .376 attack percentage last season.
McKendree in 2025 won its first MIVA regular season championship in program history. Among the multiple All-MIVA returning Bearcats includes setter Nate Flayer was named the 2025 Division II National Player of the Year.
This will be the first meeting between McKendree and Belmont Abbey since 2015. McKendree leads the all-time series 2-0 and has not lost to a ConfCarolinas school since 2019.
2026 Belmont Abbey schedule
Jan. 15 vs. Catawba
Jan. 16 vs. Queens
Jan. 31 at Lincoln Memorial
Jan. 31 vs. Northern Kentucky (at Lincoln Memorial)
Feb. 4 at Catawba
Feb. 7 vs. Tusculum
Feb. 11 vs. Erskine
Feb. 14 at Emmanuel
Feb. 17 at Lees-McRae
Feb. 21 vs. King
Feb. 27 vs. Barton
Feb. 28 vs. Mount Olive
March 7 vs. George Mason
March 10 at McKendree
March 11 at Lindenwood
March 14 vs. North Greenville
March 20 at Mount Olive
March 21 at Barton
March 25 vs. Emmanuel
March 28 at Erskine
March 31 at King
April 8 at North Greenville
April 10 at Queens
April 11 vs. Lees-McRae