SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State will face another challenging volleyball schedule in 2018, with 12 regular-season home contests and a trip to defending national champion Nebraska highlighting the 31-match slate. Additionally, the Bears will host the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Hammons Student Center from Nov. 22-24.

The Bears will play five matches against four teams that made the 2017 NCAA Tournament, eight total matches against 2017 postseason clubs, and take on five non-conference opponents that finished with a top-100 RPI last season. 

The season begins August 24 with a tough tournament hosted by College of Charleston, where the Bears will take on Alabama, Western Kentucky and the host Cougars, the final two of which won their respective conferences last season, advanced to the NCAA Tournament, won at least 27 matches, and posted top-50 RPIs.

MSU hosts the annual Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 at Hammons Student Center, welcoming Oral Roberts, Grambling State and Ball State to Springfield. Each of those clubs won at least 16 matches last season.

The Bears make a midweek trip to Kansas State on Sept. 4 before traveling to College Station, Texas, to face Nicholls State, Pepperdine and Texas A&M on Sept. 6 and 7.

Missouri State wraps up the non-league schedule Sept 14-15 at Nebraska's tournament, facing Central Michigan, New Mexico and the 2017 national champion Cornhuskers.

Missouri Valley Conference play begins Sept. 21 at home against Illinois State Illinois State, and the Bears will play a full 18-match home-and-home league schedule that ends Nov. 17 against Loyola. 

MSU will also be in action three times before the regular season, taking on Omaha in an exhibition match on Aug. 15 in Springfield, and hosting the Maroon and White Scrimmage and Alumni Match on Aug. 17 and 18.

The 2018 season will be the 23rd under head coach Melissa Stokes. Stokes has guided the Bears to a 492-228 mark since taking over in 1996, and the team has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 10 of the last 15 seasons while reaching the 20-win mark 18 times in the last 19 years.