PRINCESS ANNE, Md.- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore announced its 2018 volleyball schedule on Monday, July 23, featuring 25 regular season matches and an exhibition.

Included are 10 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference showdowns, four tournaments to open the campaign, and a pair of non-conference bouts. Nine matches will be held at the William P. Hytche Center on campus.

Opponents range from long standing rivals like Delaware State and Hampton to six schools that will meet the Hawks for the first time. Competitors hail from a wide spectrum across college athletics, stretching to the Mountain West and the Southeast, and from the Northeast Conference to the Big Ten.

The season starts with an exhibition against the Salisbury Seagulls at the Hytche Center. First serve will be at 2 p.m. on Aug. 19.

Regular season play begins the follow weekend with the Hawks on the road for the first two tournaments. They will start at the UIC Opening Weekend in Chicago before heading to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for a weekend hosted by the Tar Heels. Among the challengers for Maryland Eastern Shore will be Michigan State, North Carolina and Central Michigan.

The 2018 Hawk Invitational will take place on Sept. 7 and 8 in Princess Anne. Maryland Eastern Shore will welcome Hampton, South Carolina State and St. Francis Brooklyn.

Tournament season wraps us in Denver, as the Hawks will take on four teams between September 14th and 15th – the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Samford and Denver.

MEAC play begins on the 28th as the Hawks travel to Dover to battle Delaware State. Half of the matches will be held at home, starting with Norfolk State on October 5th. The Hawks will then host Howard (October 7th), Delaware State (Oct. 28), Coppin State (November 9th) and Morgan State (November 11th). The matchup with the Bears will be The Shore’s home and regular season finale.

In addition to all the tournaments and MEAC play, the Hawks will battle Lehigh and Liberty in non-conference matchups. It will be the first ever meeting between the Hawks and the Flames, and the first against Lehigh since 1998.

Postseason play will begin Nov. 17 with the MEAC Championships, hosted by Howard.

Head coach Trevor Callarman starts his first season as a Division I coach with eight returners and six newcomers, looking to improve on a 27-9 campaign last year.

A full list of matches, dates and times can be found here (http://www.easternshorehawks.com/sports/w-volley/sched/mdes-w-volley-sched.html).