Rackham Watt Announces 2026 Volleyball Schedule, Season Tickets on Sale Now

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee volleyball head coach Eve Rackham Watt announced the 2026 schedule on Tuesday. The 2026 slate features matches against nine NCAA Tournament teams, including five with programs that reached the Round of 16.

"We are excited to finally announce our full 2026 schedule", said Rackham Watt. "It is a great combination of opponents who will certainly test us and help prepare the team for SEC play. We are looking forward to playing several home matches as well as some very exciting road and neutral site games. I firmly believe this schedule will not only enhance our competitive edge but also foster growth and development for our players."

Tennessee will play a pair of exhibition matches to prepare for the start of the season. The Lady Vols will host Eastern Kentucky on Aug. 13, followed by a match at Cincinnati on Aug. 22.

The 2026 season will begin at home, with the Lady Vols hosting the Tennessee Tournament April 28-29. The season gets underway on April 28 against Colgate. Tennessee then faces a pair of opponents on the tournament's second day, with matches against Morehead State and Fairfield.

The Big Orange schedule features 12 matches at home. Lady Vol volleyball fans can now purchase season tickets for the upcoming season, with general prices starting at $60 (plus taxes and fees). Reserved seating options are back this year. Fans that choose the reserved seating option, which will be $100 (plus taxes and fees), will be guaranteed their seat in the same location for each match throughout the season.

Last season, UT posted a 12-3 record at Food City Center while playing in front of seven of the largest crowds in program history. For the third year in a row, Lady Vol Nation shattered Tennessee volleyball records for total attendance (57,056) and average attendance (3,804). Both attendance totals for Tennessee last year ranked in the top ten nationally.

The Lady Vols 15-game SEC schedule was released in April. This year's conference slate will once again see each team play each conference opponent, with the SEC Tournament back in Savannah, Georgia at Enmarket Arena Nov. 20-25.

Five SEC teams, including Tennessee, reached the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Three programs (Kentucky, Texas, Texas A&M) reached the tournament's second weekend, with the Aggies finishing the year as the national champion. Tennessee will host Kentucky in 2026, and will go on the road to face both Texas and Texas A&M.

Below is a breakdown of each of Tennessee upcoming non-conference opponents:

Colgate // August 28 // Knoxville
The Lady Vols will get the 2026 season started at home with a match against the Colgate Raiders. Last season, Colgate finished with an 18-10 record, finishing Patriot League play 13-3. During the 2025 season, the Raiders got three wins over Power Four opposition over Washington and Syracuse (twice). Two All-Patriot League honorees return in 2026 in Milan Bayless and Tiana Owens. Bayless, the 2024 Patriot League Player of the Year, led the conference in both kills and points a season ago, totaling 441 kills, 191 digs, 67 blocks, 21 aces and 507.5 points. Owens garnered first team conference honors last season following setting career highs in kills (300), digs (136), and aces (22).

Morehead State // August 29 // Knoxville
The Eagles will head to Knoxville as part of the Tennessee Tournament. The team is coming off a 23-9 record a season ago, winning a share of the Ohio Valley Conference regular season title with a 15-3 record and falling in the conference championship game. First Team All-OVC setter Sydney Sennett and outside hitter Hollan Everett are back for the Eagles. Sennett posted the eight-most assists in a single season in program history with 1,089, while Everett earned Second Team All-OVC honors behind 335 kills and ranked 10th in the conference in kills per set at 3.13.

Fairfield // August 29 // Knoxville
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions will look to defend its title from last season. The Stags captured their third consecutive MAAC championship in 2025, finishing the season with a 25-6 record. Two returners earned All-MAAC honors last year, with Mamie Krubally garnering first team honors and Emma Bortolotti named to the All-Rookie Team. Krubally led the team with 314 kills last season, while also totaling 78 blocks. The rising sophomore logged 235 kills and 69 blocks in her first collegiate season.

Illinois // September 1 // Knoxville
Illinois will travel to Rocky Top for the inaugural Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge. All the Fighting Illini's All-Big Ten honorees from a season ago return, with Taylor de Boer, Kenna Phelan, and Alyssa Aguayo back in 2026. De Boer led the team in kills (268) and ranked eighth in the Big Ten with 3.57 kills per set. Phelan earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors with 1,032 assists and finished seventh in the conference averaging 9.74 assists per set.

Indiana // September 6 // Nashville, Tenn.
A previously announced matchup, the Lady Vols and Indiana will meet at the second Broadway Block Party at Bridgestone Arena. This year's event will feature programs from the SEC, ACC, and Big Ten, with Texas and Louisville facing off at the neutral site. The Hoosiers finished their season by making it to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament, ranking 13th in the final AVCA rankings. All-American setter Teodora Krickovic is back for the Hoosiers this season, after the rising sophomore took AVCA Honorable Mention All-American after providing 1,212 assists, 201 digs, 50 blocks, and a team-leading 38 aces.

Pitt // September 9 // Kissimmee, Fla.
The Lady Vols will head off for its second consecutive neutral site match as it plays the Pitt Panthers as part of the Showdown at the Net. The contest will take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sport Complex at Disney World Resort. Pitt posted a 30-5 record and reached the national semifinal last season, its fifth consecutive national semifinal appearance. Two-time AVCA National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock returns for her senior season, following a 2025 campaign that saw her set a program record with 646 kills.

Coastal Carolina // September 12 // Knoxville
Following a pair of neutral site matches, the Lady Vols return home as they host Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers finished last season with an 18-11 record and 10-6 in the Sun Belt. Middle Blocker Anna Ritta finished her first season with the Chanticleers with 184 kills and 143 blocks, with her 143 blocks and 1.39 blocks per set ranking top five in the Sun Belt.

Queens // September 15 // Charlotte, N.C.
Last season the Royals finished the 2025 season with a 18-12 record. Elizabeth Layson returns for her sophomore season after earning ASUN All-Freshman Team honors. The outside hitter finished her first collegiate season with 293 kills and 61 blocks. Layson led the team in both kills and kills per set (2.57) in her freshman season. Libero Tilley Collins also returns after tallying 452 digs on a 3.96 digs per set average.

South Florida // September 19 // University Park, Pa.
The Lady Vols and the Bulls will meet up for the second consecutive season, with the two programs opening the 2025 season in Knoxville. USF finished the 2025 season by reaching its first NCAA Tournament in 23 years, earning an at-large berth closing out the year with a 17-13 record. Setter Raegan Richardson and outside hitter Laila Ivey return after garnering All-American Conference honors. Richardson led the team in both assists (1,028) and aces (39), while also totaling 184 digs and 71 kills. Ivey earned second team honors after recording 210 kills and 226 points.

Penn State // September 20 // University Park, Pa.
The Lady Vols head to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a match against the Nittany Lions. Last season, the Nittany Lions reached the NCAA Tournament for the 45th consecutive season. Three-time AVCA All-American Kennedy Martin returns for her senior season. As a junior, Martin logged 634 kills, 258 digs, 89 blocks, and 48 aces. Last season, Martin finished second in the country in points per set at 6.22, while also setting the program record in the 25-point rally scoring era in kills, points per set, points, and kills per set.

2026 Tennessee Preview
Tennessee returns three-time All-American setter Caroline Kerr for the 2026 season. The rising redshirt senior played an integral role for an offense that ranked top 15 in Division I in both hitting percentage (.292) and kills per set (14.97), the second time in the last three seasons that the Lady Vols ranked in the top 15 in both categories. One of the best setters to ever wear the Orange & White, Kerr currently sits sixth in program history in both career assists (3,259) and assists per set (10.65).

Tennessee also returns experienced players in middle blocker Chelsea Sutton and outside hitter Mackenzie Plante. Sutton was the team leader in blocks a season ago with 116, while finishing the campaign second on the team in kills with 215. The Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. native also led the team in hitting percentage at .362, a mark that ranked in the top five in the SEC. Plante had a career year in 2025, reaching career-high totals in all major categories. The rising senior was fourth on the team with 182 kills and played a vital role in the team's floor defense with 175 digs. Plante tallied five matches with double-digit kills, including a career high of 14 against both Texas and Alabama.

Five transfer additions will make their Big Orange debuts in 2026. Coastal Carolina transfer Jalyn Stout is the NCAA's all-time leader in career triple-doubles with 46. Stout finished her three years with the Chanticleers with 1,112 kills, 1,545 assists, and 1,041 digs. Kennedi Rogers joins the Lady Vols after earning ACC All-Freshman Team honors at SMU. In her lone season with the Mustangs, Rogers logged 175 kills and a .272 hitting percentage. Nia Hall brings SEC experience to Rocky Top after spending one season at South Carolina where she led the team in both kills (273) and kills per set (3.07). Libero Raegan Burns joins after three seasons at Kansas, where she was a 2023 Big 12 All-Rookie Team selection In her collegiate career she has posted 756 digs, 246 assists, and 31 aces. Setter Mallory Matheny comes over from Indiana. Matheny comes to Rocky Top as one of the top ranked prep setters in the country, where she was ranked as the No. 22 overall recruit in the country by Prep Volleyball.

University of Tennessee Athletics

Rackham Watt Announces 2026 Volleyball Schedule, Season Tickets on Sale Now

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Mallory Matheny

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Jalyn Stout

Chelsea Sutton

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