Raider Volleyball unveils 2025 schedule

DAYTON — Winners of five of the last six regular season Horizon League championships, the Wright State volleyball program and head coach Travers Green announced its 2025 schedule on Tuesday afternoon. The schedule that includes nine conference matchups inside McLin Gymnasium and is highlighted by the Raiders hosting power conference opponents Pittsburgh and Ohio State as part of the Tru by Hilton Beavercreek Invitational in September.

The Raiders will host Cincinnati for their lone exhibition match ahead of the regular season, opening action at the WKU Invitational against Western Kentucky, Drake and Loyola. Wright State then treks to the Midwest for its first two matches against power conference opponents, taking on Nebraska and California in Lincoln, Nebraska at the Ameritas Players Challenge. The Raiders then return to what will be an exciting atmosphere inside McLin Gymnasium for Tru by Hilton Beavercreek Invitational, welcoming power opponents Pittsburgh and Ohio State, along with in-state foe Ohio, September 12-14. Non-conference action wraps up the following week as the Raiders stay in town for the Dayton Flyer Invitational with matches against Illinois State, UC Santa Barbara and Dayton.

The Horizon League scheduling model remains the same from last season, with conference opponents playing each other on back-to-back dates on Fridays and Saturdays at one location this year. The Raiders will have four home double dips and four weekends on the road against the same opponent, while the schedule does feature home-and-home Tuesday matchups with Northern Kentucky.

The Raiders begin Horizon League play with a pair of home contests against IU Indianapolis in late September, later hosting Youngstown State and Milwaukee in four-straight matches inside McLin in mid-October, along with a midweek home tilt against Northern Kentucky. Wright State wraps up the regular season at home against Oakland in mid-November.

Wright State's Horizon League road map begins with a midweek trip to Northern Kentucky on September 30, followed by a visit to Cleveland State to open October. The Raiders will see a stretch of six of seven matches on the road to end October and open November, traveling to Green Bay, Robert Morris and Purdue Fort Wayne on consecutive weekends.

The Horizon League Championship will take place November 21-23 at the site of the regular season champion. The Raiders and McLin Gymnasium have recently taken on hosting duties for the 2019, Spring 2021, 2023 and 2024 championships.

OPPONENT INFO

Cincinnati (Aug. 23, McLin Gym; exhibition)
- Cincinnati finished 2024 with a 14-15 overall mark and a 5-13 record in the Big 12, compiling a 9-8 record in road and neutral site matches. Danijela Tomić takes over as head coach of the Bearcats, a familiar face to the Raiders after 13 seasons at Bowling Green. The Raiders made the short trip to Cincinnati last season for an exhibition, winning in four sets, and have faced the Bearcats 33 times in regular season action over the years.

WKU Invitational
Western Kentucky (Aug. 29, Bowling Green, KY; season opener)
- Western Kentucky tallied a 28-7 overall record in 2024 with a perfect 18-0 record in CUSA action, grabbing the regular season and tournament titles before falling in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament to Minnesota in four sets. Wright State is 4-2 all-time against the Hilltoppers, with the last meeting in 2013. All six previous meetings have also taken place as part of tournament action.

Drake (Aug. 29, Bowling Green, KY)
- Drake compiled a 20-10 overall mark with a 16-2 Missouri Valley record a season ago, with a 2-6 mark in true neutral site matches. Wright State and Drake have faced off just once before, in September 2022, a five-set Drake win.

Loyola (Aug. 30, Bowling Green, KY)
- Loyola finished 2024 with a 22-12 overall mark and a 13-5 record in the A-10, tallying a 6-3 record in true neutral site matches last season. The Raiders and Loyola have met 53 times previously, with Wright State most recently facing off against the former Horizon League foe in 2023.

Ameritas Players Challenge
Nebraska (Sept. 5, Lincoln, NE)
- Nebraska finished 33-3 overall with a 19-1 Big Ten record a season ago, falling in the national semifinal in five sets to Penn State. Nebraska was 22-1 in home matches a year ago, and will face off against the Raiders for the first time in program history.

California (Sept. 6, Lincoln, NE)
- California recorded a 15-17 overall record with a 7-13 mark in the ACC in 2024, tallying a 4-1 record in true neutral site matches. Wright State and Cal have never faced each other on the volleyball court.

Tru by Hilton Beavercreek Invitational
Pittsburgh (Sept. 12, McLin Gym)
- The 2024 season saw the Pitt finish at 33-2 overall, falling to Louisville in the national semifinals. The Raiders and Pitt have met six times previously, first in 1975 and most recently in 2012. This will be the first meeting inside McLin Gymnasium.

Ohio State (Sept. 13, McLin Gym)
- Ohio State was 14-16 overall with an 7-13 Big Ten record last season, recording a 4-8record in road matches. Wright State and Ohio State have previously met 11 times, with the Raiders tallying a four-set victory in Columbus last September.

Ohio (Sept. 14, McLin Gym)
- Ohio finished 2024 with a 14-15 overall mark and a 10-8 record in the MAC, tallying a 5-7 record in road matches last season. The Raiders and Ohio have met 26 times previously, with the Raiders grabbing a three-set sweep at Ohio in last year's opening weekend action.

Dayton Flyer Invitational
Illinois State (Sept. 19, Dayton, OH)
- Illinois State finished 17-16 overall with an 11-7 Missouri Valley record a season ago, falling in the Missouri Valley Tournament semifinals. Illinois State was 5-2 in true neutral site matches a year ago, and will face off against the Raiders for just the third time, but the second time in Dayton after previously meeting in UD's tournament in 2021.

UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 20, Dayton, OH)
- UC Santa Barbara recorded a 14-16 overall record with a 10-8 mark in the Big West in 2024, tallying a 3-4 record in true neutral site matches. Wright State and UC Santa Barbara have never faced each other on the volleyball court.

Dayton (Sept. 20, Dayton, OH)
- The 2024 season saw the Dayton finish at 31-3 overall as champions of the A-10 as the Flyers advanced to the NCAA regionals before falling at Nebraska. The Raiders and Dayton have played each season recently dating back to the Spring 2021 campaign, opening the series in 1973, and have faced each other 63 times in the all-time series.

Horizon League
IU Indianapolis (Sept. 26 and 27, McLin Gym)
- IU Indianapolis finished 2024 with a 15-17 overall record and a 9-9 Horizon League mark, winning five of their matches in true road contests. The Raiders tallied a pair of road wins last season and now lead the all-time series 18-8.

Northern Kentucky (Sept. 30, Highland Heights, KY | Oct. 28, McLin Gym)
- Northern Kentucky tallied an 11-18 overall mark last season with a 7-11 HL record, going 8-6 at home and 2-9 on the road. Wright State grabbed a pair of three-set sweeps last season, while the teams have met 48 times in program history dating back to 1977.

Cleveland State (Oct. 3 and 4, Cleveland, OH)
- Cleveland State ended 2024 with a 23-10 overall record and an 11-7 Horizon League record, finishing with more wins nine home wins. The Raiders grabbed two wins last season against the Vikings, but Cleveland State captured the HL Tournament title. Wright State now leads the all-time series 47-37.

Youngstown State (Oct. 10 and 11, McLin Gym)
- Youngstown State recorded a 9-21 overall record and a 3-15 HL mark last season, with the Raiders grabbing a pair of sweeps in the teams' meetings. Former Raider standout Sam Ott joined the YSU coaching staff this spring, entering an all-time series that Wright State leads 45-12.

Milwaukee (Oct. 17 and 18, McLin Gym)
- Milwaukee was 20-12 overall last season with a 15-3 Horizon League record, grabbing nine wins both at home and on the road. The Raiders and Panthers split their meetings in 2024, with both matches going five sets, and have met 71 times in a series that dates back to 1980.

Green Bay (Oct. 24 and 25, Green Bay, WI)
- Green Bay tallied a 16-17 overall record in 2024 with an 11-7 mark in the Horizon League, advancing to the HL title match. The Raiders earned two regular season wins last season wins over Green Bay last season before Green Bay knocked Wright State out of the HL Tournament semifinals. Wright State leads all-time series lead to 42-32.

Robert Morris (Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, Moon Township, PA)
- Robert Morris finished 9-20 last season with a 4-14 Horizon League record, tallying just one win in true road matches with five home victories. The Raiders won both 2024 meetings in three-set sweeps and lead the short all-time series 12-0.

Purdue Fort Wayne (Nov. 7 and 8, Fort Wayne, IN)
- Purdue Fort Wayne ended 2024 with a 17-15 overall record and a 10-8 Horizon League record, finishing with 10 wins at home. The Raiders grabbed a pair of wins last season against the Mastodons and lead the all-time series 19-10.

Oakland (Nov. 14 and 15, McLin Gym)
- Oakland recorded an 8-22 overall record and a 4-14 HL mark last season, with the Raiders and Golden Grizzlies splitting the two matchups in 2024. Wright State leads the all-time series 20-14 in a series that dates back to 1978.

Players Mentioned

Sam Ott

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