Volleyball On SI

What to Know About the 2026 College Volleyball Season

The season officially starts on Aug. 21.

Nicole Reitz

The Texas A&M Aggies are the reigning NCAA champions.
The Texas A&M Aggies are the reigning NCAA champions. / Texas A&M Volleyball

The college volleyball season is quickly approaching, and it’s time to lock in. 

Here are the opening weekend and key matches to add to your calendar, plus teams and players to keep an eye on this year. 

When Does the 2026 Division I Women’s Volleyball Season Start?

Though preseason matchups begin as early as the second week of August, the season officially opens at the AVCA First Serve on Aug. 21-24 in Milwaukee, Wisc.

Texas A&M, the defending national champion, along with Louisville, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Texas, Arizona State, SMU, Pitt, Xavier and Marquette will highlight the tournament. 

The following week, Aug. 27-30, is when most programs will really dive into action, with several invitationals and tournaments being hosted around the nation. 

The 2026 State Farm Showcase in Sioux Falls, S.D will feature powerhouses like Purdue, Minnesota, Creighton, Arizona State and Southern California, while the Players Era Showcase in Las Vegas hosts Nebraska, Texas, UNLV, and TCU. 

Marquee Matchups 

Spikes Under the Lights

Four programs (Nebraska, Florida, SMU, and Penn State) will make history on Aug. 27 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys. This inaugural $1 million made-for-TV exhibition will be the largest money award ever in women’s college sports. 

Each program is set to be paid a $200,000 appearance fee, with the additional $200,000 in prize money at stake. The largest portion goes to the winner, and programs are responsible for deciding how the money is distributed among their roster. 

Big Ten/SEC Volleyball at Wrigley Field 

The Big Ten Conference and Southeastern Conference announced a partnership beginning in 2026, called the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week, which is meant to reflect the incredible growth of the sport. 

With a doubleheader at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, on Sept. 6, Nebraska will face Missouri, while Penn State battles Kentucky.

The event will mark the first time volleyball has ever been played at Wrigley Field and will aim to draw a massive crowd at the 41,000-seat stadium. 

Teams and Players to Watch 

Texas A&M Aggies 

The Aggies are fresh off their first-ever national title in 2025. Can they repeat in 2026? Several new faces enter the roster as many standouts graduated. The SEC Coaches’ Poll placed the Aggies at No. 3, just behind Kentucky and Texas.

Kyndal Stowers was the only Aggie to make the Preseason All-SEC Team. 

Stanford Cardinal 

Stanford leads the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll with 10 first-place votes and 280 total points after coming off its first ACC Volleyball Championship title in 2025 and putting up an overall record of 29-5. 

The Cardinal also led on the All-ACC Team with five selections. Jordyn Harvey makes her second appearance, while Lizzy Andrew, Julia Blyashov, Spencer Etzler, and Logan Parks are recognized for the first time in their careers. 

Kentucky Wildcats 

While favored in the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the Wildcats also lead the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List. 

This is Brooklyn DeLeye’s third season being named to the preseason finalist list, with Morgan Gaerte, Kassie O’Brien and Molly Tuozzo all making their first appearance. 

Kentucky will start its voyage to its 10th straight SEC championship and a return trip to the NCAA Volleyball Final Four in 2026. 

 Nebraska Cornhuskers 

Nebraska was the unanimous favorite to repeat as Big Ten Champions, while the senior trio of Andi Jackson, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team. 

The Huskers won their sixth Big Ten title in 2025 with an undefeated 20-0 record in conference play. They finished the season at 33-1 and reached the NCAA Regional Final before falling to Texas A&M. 

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018. Her work has been published in various publications like Softball On SI, Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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