The perennial East Coast powerhouse is coming to McKendree.
McKendree as part of unveiling its 2026 schedule announced it will have a two-match home non-conference series against Penn State in January.
This will be the second all-time meeting between the Bearcats and Nittany Lions and the first time the two teams have played each other since 2019. It also will be the first time McKendree has a home match in the series.
McKendree ended last season with a program-record 20 wins and won the MIVA regular season championship for the first time in program history. In addition, Nickie Sanlin was named the National Coach of the Year as the Bearcats finished ranked No. 1 in the Division II national coaches poll.
Among the multiple All-MIVA starters returning for the Bearcats includes setter Nate Flayter who was the 2025 Division II National Player of the Year.
Penn State last season won the EIVA Tournament for the third consecutive season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. All-American libero Ryan Merk returns to the Nittany Lions for his senior season.
Both Flyter and Merk spent the offseason helping the United States win a gold medal at the NORCECA Final Six.
Along with the Penn State series, McKendree will play three more non-conference matches against teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last season.
McKendree will open the season with road matches against both teams that reached the NCAA Tournament finals last season – Long Beach State and UCLA. It also will have a home match against the defending ConfCarolinas champions Belmont Abbey in March.
2026 McKendree regular season schedule
Jan. 9 at UCLA
Jan. 10 at Long Beach State
Jan. 16 vs. Mount Olive (at Charleston)
Jan. 17 at Charleston
Jan. 23 vs. Penn State
Jan. 24 vs. Penn State
Jan. 30 vs. Missouri S&T
Jan. 31 vs. Rockhurst
Feb. 4 vs. Lewis
Feb. 6 vs. Loyola
Feb. 12 at Ball State
Feb. 13 at Purdue Fort Wayne
Feb. 20 at Lindenwood
Feb. 26 vs. Queens
Feb. 28 vs. Queens
March 5 at Northern Kentucky
March 7 at Ohio State
March 10 vs. Belmont Abbey
March 13 vs. Lindenwood
March 17 vs. Harvard
March 18 vs. Harvard
March 26 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
March 28 vs. Ball State
April 2 at Loyola
April 4 at Lewis
April 9 vs. Ohio State
April 11 vs. Northern Kentucky