The 2026 college volleyball season is in full swing, with teams across the country showcasing their skills and determination. From the Finger Lakes Community College Lakers to the SWOSU Bulldogs, the season has already delivered exciting matches and standout performances. As teams vie for championships and individual accolades, the stage is set for an unforgettable season.
With a mix of returning veterans and promising newcomers, the 2026 season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory. Fans can expect thrilling matches, dramatic comebacks, and exceptional performances from some of the nation’s top players.
The Finger Lakes Community College Lakers Make a Strong Start
The Finger Lakes Community College women’s volleyball team opened its 2026 season with a dominant four-match weekend. The Lakers, known for their pursuit of excellence, received significant contributions from both returning players and fresh faces. Freshman Jessie Powers made an immediate impact, leading the team with an impressive 64 kills across the four matches. Her standout performance included a weekend-high 23 kills against Ridgewater College.
Powers’ efficiency was remarkable, with hitting percentages of.464,.425, and.500 over her first three matches. She finished the weekend with 64 kills on 126 attempts, showcasing her potential as a key player for the Lakers. Returning All-American Olivia Scheuer continued to be a vital part of the team’s offense, totaling 99 assists and adding 19 service aces, 16 kills, and 19 digs.
Freshman Kamryn Eastman contributed 22 kills during the weekend, while Ava Van Antwerp provided a strong presence in the middle. Van Antwerp finished with 12 kills and only four attacking errors on 29 attempts. She also totaled 11 blocks, including two solo blocks, and posted hitting percentages of.600 against Dakota College at Bottineau and.500 against University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at Rock County.
Keira Dickens helped lead the Lakers defensively with 36 digs, including 15 in the opening match and 10 in the final contest. Allyson St. Germain added 14 kills and 16 digs, while Liana Beylo finished the four-match stretch with 10 kills. The Lakers will look to carry this momentum into their next match against Onondaga Community College on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
SWOSU Bulldogs Begin Their 22nd Season with High Hopes
The SWOSU Bulldogs are kicking off their 22nd season of competition with high expectations. Following a strong finish to the 2026 season, which saw them go 16-15 They won nine of their final 11 matches, including a run to the GAC Tournament championship match as the No. 3 seed, before falling to Oklahoma Baptist in the title match.
The Bulldogs enter the new season with a mix of experienced players and promising newcomers. Seven players return from last year’s squad, including All-GAC selections Katja BlanchatJada Permenter and Mackenzie Sims. Seven newcomers—four transfers and three freshmen—round out the 14-player roster. The returning group helped SWOSU earn the No. 4 spot in the GAC Preseason Coaches Poll, just two points behind defending regular season champion Ouachita Baptist in third.
Head coach Josh Collins enters his 15th season leading the Bulldog program. The three-time GAC Coach of the Year has guided SWOSU to four 20-win seasons, the 2015 GAC Tournament Championship, and the program’s first GAC regular season title in 2026. The Bulldogs return plenty of experience defensively, beginning with Permenter at libero. The senior earned Honorable Mention All-GAC honors last season after leading the Bulldogs with 594 digs and 5.26 digs per set.
At the net, Blanchat returns following a breakout freshman season that earned her Second Team All-GAC honors. She led the Bulldogs with 142 total blocks and averaged 1.35 blocks per set while adding 142 kills on a.259 hitting percentage. Fellow sophomore Sydnee Winfrey also returns after producing 240 kills and 125 blocks as a freshman. The duo helped anchor a SWOSU defense that totaled 305.5 blocks and averaged 2.70 per set in 2026, second most in all of Division II, while holding opponents to a.155 hitting percentage.
Sims returns at setter after earning Honorable Mention All-GAC recognition as a freshman. She finished the season with a team-high 611 assists after taking over primary setting duties during the year. Senior outside hitter Jenna Houk provides another experienced returner after totaling 217 kills and 326 digs, while Morgan Ritchie and Libbie Hughs round out the group of seven returning Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs will be road tested early with their first 11 matches of the season taking place away from Weatherford. That stretch begins Thursday at the Western Colorado Invitational, where SWOSU will play four matches across three days. The Bulldogs open against host Western Colorado at 7 p.m. (CT) before facing Sul Ross State on Friday and New Mexico Highlands and Lubbock Christian on Saturday.
The AVCA First Serve Sets the Stage for the 2026 Season
The 2026 NCAA women’s volleyball season kicked off at the AVCA First Serve from August 21-24 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Eight of the nation’s premier teams battled it out across six different matches inside the Fiserv Forum—home of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks—for a chance to set the tone for the regular season. The event featured some of the most exciting matchups and storylines of the year.
The AVCA First Serve marked the revival of a similar preseason event that the association sponsored from 1995-2011 and 2014. Due to new NCAA exemptions prior to the 2026 season, the AVCA was once again able to host four of the nation’s top teams. In 2026, the AVCA First Serve hosted eight matches between 10 teams across Lincoln, Nebraska, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Four of the teams made it to at least the regional finals of the 2026 NCAA tournament while Texas A&M secured its first win of its national title season against Minnesota in the last match of the invitational.
For the first time in the new AVCA First Serve era, Nebraska will not be participating in the event where they have historically shined. In 2026, the Huskers earned a 3-1 victory over Kentucky before their 2026 appearance where they walked away with two wins against No. 3 Pittsburgh and No. 6 Stanford to start their 33-match win streak. Even without the Huskers, there will still be plenty of action as all eight featured teams finished in the top 12 of the final 2026 AVCA rankings.
On the first day of competition, we’ll see some epic rematches from the 2026 NCAA tournament. Wisconsin is set to face Kentucky in a rematch of the 2026 national semifinal thriller where the Cats edged Wisconsin 3-2 in dramatic fashion. On the same day, reigning national champion Texas A&M will square off against Louisville in another five-setter rematch from the 2026 regional semifinals. All four of the 2026 national semifinalists from Kansas City will be in Milwaukee kicking off the new season. But they will each face new challenges.
With the elite 2026 senior class graduating, there will be some big shoes to fill and some questions left unanswered up until the first serve of the 2026 season. Until then, get yourself ready for another epic women’s college volleyball season. The countdown begins today.
