IRVINE, Calif. - 11-year head coach Nickie Sanlin and the McKendree University men's volleyball team begin their regular season with a trip to the west coast this week. The Bearcats will face the University of California, Irvine on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. before playing two games at Pepperdine University on Friday, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m.  

McKendree returns 14 players from last season including All-MIVA Second Team selections setter Tyler Poulsen and middle blocker Rolen Lively. Sophomore Bryce Wetjen, the Bearcats' leading hitter last season, also returns after averaging 3.24 kills per set.  

The Bearcats face UC Irvine for just the second time in program history as the two met last year in an outing at Brigham Young University. Between McKendree and Pepperdine, there have been three meetings, the last in March of 2022.  

All three games can be viewed via pay-per-view on ESPN+. This link can be found on the McKendree men's volleyball schedule.