HOUSTON – Rice volleyball head coach Genny Volpe unveiled the Owls’ 2026 schedule, promising an exciting season ahead.
Rice is keeping its tradition of tough competition. They will compete against seven teams ranked in the top 25 from last year’s RPI, including the reigning national champions, Texas A&M. In total, the schedule includes nine NCAA Tournament teams and three conference champions from the previous season. Plus, Rice will host the 2026 American Conference Championship at Tudor Fieldhouse from November 19-22.
The preseason kicks off with two road scrimmages. The Owls will start at Texas on August 14, where the Longhorns finished second in the 2025 RPI. They will then head across town to play Houston on August 21.
The regular season officially begins from August 28-30 at the South Alabama Tournament, where Rice will take on South Alabama, Georgia State, and Mississippi State. Their first home match is on September 2 against Tarleton State at 6 p.m.
During the non-conference season, Rice will host two tournaments. The first, Rice Invitational I, takes place from September 4-6 with McNeese State and Illinois. The next weekend, Rice will welcome Louisville, Creighton, and UNI for Rice Invitational II, which starts on September 11. Notably, all four teams participated in the NCAA Tournament last season, with Creighton making it to the Elite Eight.
To wrap up non-conference play, Rice will visit Fort Worth to face SMU on September 17 and TCU on September 18. They will conclude this phase of the schedule on September 22 against Texas A&M in College Station.
Conference play starts at home with matches against ECU on September 25 and UAB on September 27. The Owls will then head off for matches at South Florida on October 2 and FAU on October 4, returning home to face Wichita State on October 9 and Memphis on October 11.
The following week, Rice will again hit the road to play Tulsa on October 16 and Wichita State on October 18 before meeting North Texas in Denton on October 23. They will return to Tudor Fieldhouse for a three-match homestand, starting with Tulsa on October 25 and concluding the month against Tulane on October 28 and South Florida on October 30.
Rice will begin November with away matches at UTSA on November 6 and Temple on November 8. They’ll host Charlotte in their final regular-season home match on November 13 before closing out the regular season at Tulane on November 15.
After clinching the 2025 American Conference regular-season title, Rice will also host the 2026 American Conference Championship, marking a return to hosting the conference tournament since 2019.
“Our 2026 schedule features high-quality competition all season,” Volpe noted. “We’ve designed our non-conference lineup to make an impact nationally. Rice Invitational II will showcase top teams like No. 12 Louisville, No. 7 Creighton, and No. 24 UNI right here at Tudor Fieldhouse.”
Statistics show that competitive schedules can boost team performance and fan engagement. In recent studies, teams enduring rigorous schedules often report higher levels of community support and increased attendance. As the fans gear up for the season, it’s expected that the Owls will bring a thrilling brand of volleyball to Houston.
Keep up with their journey and see how they navigate this challenging season!
Source link
