University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Panthers Release Competitive 2026 Schedule
5/26/2026 10:57:00 AM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH – The Pitt volleyball team and head coach Dan Fisher announced the 2026 schedule on Tuesday. The Panthers are coming off their fifth consecutive national semifinal appearance and fourth straight ACC Championship.
Pitt will play 18 matches against 2025 NCAA Tournament teams, including national semifinal participants Kentucky and Wisconsin, as well as regional semifinal teams Kansas, Louisville, Stanford and SMU.
Fans will get their first look at the 2026 Pitt volleyball team on Aug. 8 for the Blue/Gold exhibition at Victory Heights and is free admission. Pitt will conclude its preseason schedule with a scrimmage at Michigan on Aug. 15.
The Panthers will once again open their season at the AVCA First Serve Showcase in Milwaukee, Wisc. against national championship runner-up Kentucky on Aug. 23 and conclude the weekend against Xavier on Aug. 24.
Pitt will welcome Kansas, Wisconsin and Stanford to the Petersen Events Center for a premier early-season tournament and play the Jayhawks on Aug. 28 and the Badgers on Aug. 30. All four teams advanced to at least the regional semifinal last year.
The Panthers head west the following weekend to take on BYU (Sept. 4) and Utah (Sept. 6) before heading to Kissimmee for the ACC/SEC Showcase, where Pitt will play Tennessee on Sept. 9 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Pitt officially opens play in Victory Heights with a three-match stretch to wrap up non-conference play, hosting Jacksonville (Sept. 11), High Point (Sept. 12) and Wright State (Sept. 13).
Conference play begins Sept. 25 when Pitt hosts Cal, followed by Stanford on Sept. 27. The Panthers and Cardinal claimed a share of the ACC Championship last season.
The squad will head to Boston College (Oct. 2) and Syracuse (Oct. 4) for the first away conference slate.
The Panthers will once again compete in another home-and-home series with SMU, beginning on Oct. 7 in the Petersen Events Center before concluding in Dallas on Oct. 11. The Mustangs advanced to the regional semifinal last year for the first time in program history.
Florida State and Miami travel to Pittsburgh on Oct. 16 and Oct. 18, respectively.
Pitt will be on the road for the following two weekends, taking on Georgia Tech (Oct. 23) and Clemson (Oct. 25) before heading to Wake Forest (Oct. 30) and NC State (Nov. 1). The Yellow Jackets advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season before falling to UCLA.
The Panthers return to Victory Heights to host Duke on Nov. 6 and North Carolina on Nov. 8 before remaining home the following weekend for matches against Notre Dame (Nov. 11) and rival Louisville (Nov. 15). Pitt swept the 2025 season series against the Cardinals, earning a five-set road victory before winning in straight sets at home.
Pitt will be on the road for a trio of matches at Virginia (Nov. 20), Virginia Tech (Nov. 22) and Stanford (Nov. 24) before capping the regular season by hosting NC State on Nov. 28.
Pitt volleyball's televised match schedule, as well as a promotional schedule, will be announced at a later date.
Times (ET), dates and venues of matches are subject to change.
2026 ROSTER
The Panthers return eight players from last year's Final Four and ACC Championship team, including two-time AVCA National Player of the Year, Olivia Babcock, Second Team All-ACC performer Blaire Bayless and All-ACC Freshman Team member Marina Pezelj. Pitt also returns Abbey Emch, Izzy Masten, Mallorie Meyer, Haiti Tautua'a and Sophia Gregoire.
Fisher added two high-profile transfers in Izzy Starck (Penn State) and Jordyn Dailey (Kentucky) in January. Starck earned 2024 AVCA National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors during her standout rookie campaign. Incoming freshmen Ayanna Watson and Jessica Smallwood enrolled on campus this spring and will be joined this summer by Lola Sageer, Trinity Thompson and Dutch middle blocker Maaike Heilig.
