Two defending conference regular season champions are set to face each other early in the 2027 season.
Rockhurst as part of unveiling its schedule announced it will play a road non-conference match against Ball State on Feb. 4.
Rockhurst in the inaugural season of the GLVC won a share of the 2026 conference regular season title and advanced to the conference tournament semifinals. Setter Tyler Zippay also was second in the nation with a 0.55 aces per game average.
Ball State last season won the MIVA regular season championship en route to winning the MIVA Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament semifinals. Among the Cardinals returning starters include middle attackers Braydon Savitski-Lynde and Will Patterson and opposite Ryan Louis who all in the offseason helped the United States win the gold medal at the U23 Pan American Cup.
This will be the first all-time meeting between Rockhurst and Ball State.
The match against Ball State will be Rockhurst’s first of four non-conference matches against MIVA teams during a nine-day span. The team after facing Ball State will travel to Purdue Fort Wayne and then the following week will travel to Lindenwood and McKendree.
Rockhurst last season lost to both McKendree and Lindenwood in four games and went 0-4 against MIVA schools.
2027 Rockhurst schedule
Jan. 14 at Manhattan
Jan. 16 at NJIT
Jan. 17 at Fairleigh Dickinson
Jan. 22 vs. Central State
Jan. 23 vs. Kentucky State
Jan. 28 vs. Mission University
Feb. 4 at Ball State
Feb. 5 at Purdue Fort Wayne
Feb. 6 at Central State
Feb. 12 at Lindenood
Feb. 13 at McKendree
Feb. 18 vs. Ottawa
Feb. 19 vs. Central Christian (2x)
March 5 vs. Jamestown
March 6 vs. Jamestown
March 12 vs. Missouri S&T
March 13 vs. Missouri S&T
March 19 at Southwest Baptist
March 20 at Southwest Baptist
March 25 vs. Avila
April 2 at Quincy
April 3 at Quincy
April 9 vs. Maryville
April 10 vs. Maryville
April 16 at Roosevelt
April 17 at Roosevelt