Upcoming Event: Women's Volleyball versus Creighton (Exh.) on August 22, 2026 at 1 p.m. CT
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1 p.m. CT
Women's Volleyball
vs Creighton (Exh.)
Photo by: Jordyn Pennington/Kansas Athletics
Kansas Volleyball Announces 2026 Schedule
4/16/2026 2:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas volleyball is set to face a 28-match schedule during the upcoming 2026 season, featuring an even split of 14 home and 14 road or neutral contests. The full schedule is now complete following the Big 12 Conference schedule release on Thursday.
"We feel like this schedule is well rounded," Kansas head coach Matt Ulmer said. "We get to play in tough road environments plus face strong competition at home. We are playing against a lot of teams that are used to winning and they do that with different styles of volleyball. The Big 12 is deeper than ever and it was already record setting last season. This schedule will help us grow for the postseason."
Following two home scrimmages and an exhibition match against Creighton on Aug. 22, Kansas opens the season by competing in the Opening Spike Classic for the second-consecutive season. The 2026 edition of the event will be held at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the Jayhawks will face Pittsburgh on Aug. 28 and Stanford on Aug. 30. KU heads to Nashville, Tennessee, for the Lipscomb Tournament the following weekend, where the Jayhawks will take on Lipscomb (Sept. 3) and Florida State (Sept. 4).
The Jayhawks play the first of 14 home matches on Tuesday, Sept. 8, against Wichita State, before staying at home to host the Kansas Invitational on Sept. 11-13 and the Jayhawk Classic on Sept. 18-20. In those events, KU will host South Dakota State (Sept. 11), Tulsa (Sept. 13), Ole Miss (Sept. 18) and Grand Canyon (Sept. 20). In between the two tournaments, the Jayhawks will play a return match at Wichita State on Sept. 15.
Big 12 Conference play begins on Friday, Sept. 25, with Kansas hosting Houston, the first of nine conference home contests at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. Other home opponents including Utah (Oct. 1), BYU (Oct. 3), Arizona State (Oct. 18), Kansas State (Oct. 30), Baylor (Nov. 6), Cincinnati (Nov. 8), TCU (Nov. 15), and West Virginia (Nov. 20).
Kansas will also play conference road matches at Texas Tech (Sept. 27), UCF (Oct. 11), Kansas State (Oct. 15), TCU (Oct. 23), Baylor (Oct. 25), Iowa State (Nov. 1), Colorado (Nov. 12), Arizona (Nov. 25) and Arizona State (Nov. 27).
Kansas enters its second season under the direction of Ulmer, who guided the Jayhawks to a 24-11 record and the fourth Sweet Sixteen in program history in his first campaign. Last season, KU finished second in the Big 12 with a 13-5 conference record and went 9-2 at home, including postseason wins over High Point and Miami (Fla.). The Jayhawks return two players who earned postseason recognition in junior middle blocker Reese Ptacek, an All-Big 12 First Team and AVCA All-America Honorable Mention selection, and junior pin hitter Grace Nelson, who was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team.
Information regarding 2026 Kansas volleyball season tickets will be announced at a later date.
"We feel like this schedule is well rounded," Kansas head coach Matt Ulmer said. "We get to play in tough road environments plus face strong competition at home. We are playing against a lot of teams that are used to winning and they do that with different styles of volleyball. The Big 12 is deeper than ever and it was already record setting last season. This schedule will help us grow for the postseason."
Following two home scrimmages and an exhibition match against Creighton on Aug. 22, Kansas opens the season by competing in the Opening Spike Classic for the second-consecutive season. The 2026 edition of the event will be held at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the Jayhawks will face Pittsburgh on Aug. 28 and Stanford on Aug. 30. KU heads to Nashville, Tennessee, for the Lipscomb Tournament the following weekend, where the Jayhawks will take on Lipscomb (Sept. 3) and Florida State (Sept. 4).
The Jayhawks play the first of 14 home matches on Tuesday, Sept. 8, against Wichita State, before staying at home to host the Kansas Invitational on Sept. 11-13 and the Jayhawk Classic on Sept. 18-20. In those events, KU will host South Dakota State (Sept. 11), Tulsa (Sept. 13), Ole Miss (Sept. 18) and Grand Canyon (Sept. 20). In between the two tournaments, the Jayhawks will play a return match at Wichita State on Sept. 15.
Big 12 Conference play begins on Friday, Sept. 25, with Kansas hosting Houston, the first of nine conference home contests at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. Other home opponents including Utah (Oct. 1), BYU (Oct. 3), Arizona State (Oct. 18), Kansas State (Oct. 30), Baylor (Nov. 6), Cincinnati (Nov. 8), TCU (Nov. 15), and West Virginia (Nov. 20).
Kansas will also play conference road matches at Texas Tech (Sept. 27), UCF (Oct. 11), Kansas State (Oct. 15), TCU (Oct. 23), Baylor (Oct. 25), Iowa State (Nov. 1), Colorado (Nov. 12), Arizona (Nov. 25) and Arizona State (Nov. 27).
Kansas enters its second season under the direction of Ulmer, who guided the Jayhawks to a 24-11 record and the fourth Sweet Sixteen in program history in his first campaign. Last season, KU finished second in the Big 12 with a 13-5 conference record and went 9-2 at home, including postseason wins over High Point and Miami (Fla.). The Jayhawks return two players who earned postseason recognition in junior middle blocker Reese Ptacek, an All-Big 12 First Team and AVCA All-America Honorable Mention selection, and junior pin hitter Grace Nelson, who was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team.
Information regarding 2026 Kansas volleyball season tickets will be announced at a later date.
Players Mentioned
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