The three-defending SIAC championship will make the more than 4,000-mile trip to face the defending NCAA champions during the upcoming season.
Fort Valley State as part of recently unveiling its 2027 schedule announced it will play a non-conference road match against Hawai’i in March.
The Wildcats under coach Larry Wrather have reached the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive years as the SIAC championships. The team also went undefeated in SIAC play last season to extend its conference winning streak to a nation-best 34 matches.
Hawai’i finished last season winning its third NCAA championship this decade and first national title since 2022. Among the multiple All-American starters slated to return for the Rainbow Warriors includes setter Tread Rosenthal who guided Hawai’i to nation’s fourth-best attack percentage at .367 last season.
This will be the first all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Rainbow Warriors.
Along with its match against Hawai’i, Fort Valley State will play neutral site matches against USC and Penn State as part of its Hawaii road trip.
Both USC and Penn State reached the NCAA Tournament last season.
USC earned the final at-large bid and lost to Hawai’i in the NCAA Tournament regional finals. Penn State won the EIVA championship and in the NCAA Tournament opening round nearly upset UC Irvine before losing in five games.
Fort Valley State will have five non-conference matches against teams that reached the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Fort Valley State before playing Penn State in Hawai’i will travel to face the Nittany Lions in January. The team also will play Long Beach State as part of that non-conference event at Penn State.
2027 Fort Valley State schedule
Jan. 8 at Catawba
Jan. 15 vs. Erskine
Jan. 16 vs. Emmanuel
Jan. 21 at Penn State
Jan. 22 vs. Long Beach State (at Penn State)
Jan. 27 at Emmanuel
Feb. 4 vs. CSUN
Feb. 6 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
March 11 vs. USC (at Hawaii)
March 12 at Hawai’i
March 13 vs. Penn State (at Hawaii)
March 19 at Kentucky State
March 20 at Kentucky State
March 31 at Benedict
April 3 vs. Benedict
April 7 at Newberry
April 9 vs. Newberry
April 14 vs. Edward Warters
April 17 at Edward Waters
April 23 vs. Central State
April 24 vs. Central state