BELMONT, N.C. -- A pair of in-season tournaments -- including the opener on Long Island, N.Y. -- and 20 Conference Carolinas matchups make up the 2025 Belmont Abbey Women's Volleyball schedule, head coach Toni Fox announced today. The Crusaders will play 10 of their 28 matches at home in the Wheeler Center.

"We are thrilled to announce our fall schedule as there is a great deal of anticipation surrounding the upcoming season," Fox said. "We cannot wait to embrace the challenge in front of us with two high-level scrimmages in the preseason before some tough competition in New York. All of that will provide the opportunity to build momentum and find our strengths going into our Conference Carolinas schedule. "This core group of returners had a great building year in 2024 and we are looking forward to the growth in our relationships and in body, mind and spirit in our chase for excellence this year."

The campaign begins on Friday, Sept. 5 with two days of competition at the Long Island Invitational, co-hosted by Molloy in Rockville Center and Post in Garden City. The Crusaders will face Molloy and Wilmington (Del.) on Friday and Adelphi and Post on Saturday. A week later, four out-of-region matches take place at the West Virginia Wesleyan Tournament.

The conference slate begins with a road trip to Mount Olive and UNC Pembroke on September 19-20 before the first home game, Wednesday, Sept. 24 against league newcomer Ferrum. The former Division III member joined Conference Carolinas on July 1. The league format again includes home-and-home matches with Northwest Division rivals King, North Greenville, Converse and Lees-McRae. Barton, Southern Wesleyan, Shorter, Erskine and Chowan also make trips to Belmont.