SatAug 22
Home
vs
Utah Tech (Exhibition)
WIN· W 3-0Smith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
Sep 11 · vs UCLASep 15 · vs Utah ValleySep 17 · at Weber StateSep 19 · vs Utah StateSep 25 · vs BaylorOct 1 · at Kansas StateOct 3 · at KansasOct 8 · at Houston
Big 12BYU
BYU
Schedule 2026
Follow the Cougars on their journey to championship glory. Get the latest schedules, roster updates, and game information.
4-1
Record
28
Games
4
Players
Looking for dates, times and locations? Jump straight to the full BYU 2026 slate.
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BYU
UCLA
Fri, Sep 11·6:30 pm MDT (TV: ESPN+)
01Days
18Hours
09Min
12Sec
BYU Volleyball Schedule 2026
FriAug 28
Away
at
Florida State
WIN· W 3-2Fort Myers, Fla.
SatAug 29
Away
at
Florida Gulf Coast
WIN· W 3-1Alico Arena, Fort Myers, Fla.
ThuSep 3
Home
vs
Eastern Illinois
WIN· W 3-0Smith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
FriSep 4
Home
vs
#2 Pittsburgh
LOSS· L 1-3Smith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
TueSep 8
AwayBS
at
Boise State
WIN· W 3-0ExtraMile Arena, Boise, Idaho
FriSep 11
Homevs
UCLA
6:30 pm MDT (TV: ESPN+)Smith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
TueSep 15
Homevs
Utah Valley
6:30 pm MDT (TV: ESPN+)Smith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
ThuSep 17
AwayWS
at
Weber State
6:00 pm MDT (TV: ESPN+)Swenson Gym, Ogden, Utah
SatSep 19
Homevs
Utah State
1:00 pm MDT (TV: ESPN+)Smith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
FriSep 25
Home
vs
Baylor
TBASmith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
ThuOct 1
Away
at
Kansas State
TBAMorgan Family Arena, Manhattan, Kansas
SatOct 3
Awayat
Kansas
TBAHorejsi Family Volleyball Arena, Lawrence, Kansas
ThuOct 8
Away
at
Houston
TBAFertitta Center, Houston, Texas
SatOct 10
HomeWV
vs
West Virginia
TBASmith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
ThuOct 15
Awayat
Utah
TBAHuntsman Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
SatOct 17
Away
at
Arizona
TBAMcKale Center, Tucson, Arizona
ThuOct 22
Home
vs
Colorado
TBASmith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
SatOct 24
Home
vs
Arizona State
TBASmith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
FriOct 30
Homevs
Utah
TBASmith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
ThuNov 5
Awayat
Colorado
TBACU Events Center, Boulder, Colorado
SatNov 7
Away
at
Iowa State
TBAHilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa
ThuNov 12
Awayat
Baylor
TBAFerrell Center, Waco, Texas
SatNov 14
Home
vs
Texas Tech
TBASmith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
ThuNov 19
Homevs
Arizona
TBASmith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
SatNov 21
HomeC
vs
Cincinnati
TBASmith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
WedNov 25
AwayU
at
UCF
TBAThe Venue, Orlando, Florida
FriNov 27
Home
vs
TCU
TBASmith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah
BYU Volleyball 2026: Season Outlook & Program Overview
Original analysis of the BYU Cougars program, coaching staff, and 2026 outlook.
2026 Season Outlook
Seventh place is a real projection, not a slight. Arizona State, TCU, Kansas, Baylor, Colorado and Iowa State all rank ahead of BYU in the Big 12 preseason poll, and every one of them is a top-25 or receiving-votes team; the conference has gotten deeper fast. What BYU does have is experience in the spots that matter most under a new system. Alex Bower returns at setter with 1,265 assists last season, the second-highest total in BYU's 25-point rally-scoring era, plus eight double-doubles and All-Big 12 First Team honors - she led the team in digs in seven separate matches, which tells you how much of the floor she covers. Brielle Kemavor was a unanimous selection to the Big 12 preseason team, one of the few players in the league to earn that, and Claire Little Chambers joins them after being the conference's Preseason Player of the Year a year ago. All three made the preseason team last season too, so this is a returning core rather than a rebuild. The wildcard is what Rob Neilson does with it: he inherits a roster built for someone else's system, and his first year will be judged more on whether the team looks coherent by November than on where it finishes.
Program History & Tradition
BYU joined the Big 12 in 2023 and has been one of the league's more consistent volleyball programs since. Heather Olmstead concluded her eleven-season tenure in December 2025 to pursue other opportunities; her final BYU team earned a No. 5 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and her last recruiting class produced the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Home matches are at the Smith Fieldhouse, opened in 1951 - small, old, on-campus and loud, the three things that make a volleyball venue hard to play in, with a student section close enough to the service line to be a genuine factor.
Head Coach Spotlight
Rob Neilson is in his first season, hired in December 2025. He played setter at BYU from 2003 to 2006 and was a member of the 2004 national championship team, then spent ten years on the BYU men's volleyball staff, helping the program to two conference titles and a national runner-up finish in 2013. He came to Provo after six seasons as head coach at Utah State, and brought assistants Chloe Hirst and Torre Glasker with him.
What to Watch in 2026
Pittsburgh, a 2025 Final Four team, visits the Smith Fieldhouse on September 4 in week two, and UCLA follows on September 11 - two blue-blood programs a week apart, both at home, which did the new coach no favors. The Holy War against Utah runs twice, now as a conference series: at the Huntsman Center on October 15, in the middle of BYU's hardest road stretch, and at home on October 30. Arizona State, the Big 12's preseason No. 1, comes to Provo on October 24 - the toughest opponent BYU hosts all year. The regular-season finale on November 27 is at home against TCU, the league's preseason No. 2. BYUtv carries non-conference home matches free to air, a genuine advantage BYU fans have over most Big 12 fanbases.
BYU Volleyball 2026 Schedule Overview
Last updated: August 24, 2026
BYU opens the 2026 season on August 28 on the road at Florida Gulf Coast and closes November 27 at home against TCU: 28 matches, ten non-conference and 18 in the Big 12, plus an August 22 home exhibition against Utah Tech that does not count toward the record. The home opener is September 3 against Eastern Illinois, and Big 12 play opens September 25 against Baylor. This is Rob Neilson's first season, after Heather Olmstead concluded her eleven-season tenure in December 2025. BYU opens ranked No. 24 nationally and was picked seventh in a 15-team Big 12. Home matches are at the Smith Fieldhouse. Full dates, times, venues and streaming details are below.
BYU opens August 28 at Florida Gulf Coast. The August 22 home exhibition against Utah Tech does not count toward the record.
BYU Volleyball 2026 Photo Gallery
TV & Streaming Information
Most Big 12 matches stream on ESPN+ through Big 12 NOW, with select matches picked up for linear television. BYUtv carries non-conference home matches free to air, a genuine advantage BYU fans have over most Big 12 fanbases. Non-conference road matches follow the host: Florida Gulf Coast and Florida State stream through FGCU's platform, Boise State through the Mountain West's, and Weber State through the Big Sky's. Broadcast assignments were still being finalized when the schedule was released and are announced on a rolling basis. Tickets are sold through BYU Athletics and students get in with a valid BYU ID.
Top Games to Watch
Pittsburgh at BYU
Friday, September 4
A 2025 Final Four team coming to Provo in week two. There is no better early measuring stick for a first-year staff, and no bigger non-conference draw on the schedule.
UCLA at BYU
Friday, September 11
Blue-blood programs one week apart, both at home. BYU's non-conference scheduling did the new coach no favors.
BYU at Utah, then Utah at BYU
October 15 and October 30
The Holy War, twice, now as a conference series rather than a non-conference showcase. The Huntsman Center trip lands in the middle of BYU's hardest road stretch.
Arizona State at BYU
Saturday, October 24
The Big 12's preseason No. 1 and a top-12 national team, in Provo. The single toughest opponent BYU hosts all year.
TCU at BYU
Friday, November 27
The regular-season finale at home against the league's preseason No. 2. If BYU is chasing an NCAA at-large bid, this is the last thing standing.
Key Players to Know
Alex Bower
Setter
Returns with 1,265 assists last season, the second-highest total in BYU's 25-point rally-scoring era, plus eight double-doubles and All-Big 12 First Team honors. She led the team in digs in seven separate matches, which tells you how much of the floor she covers.
Brielle Kemavor
Preseason All-Big 12
A unanimous selection to the Big 12 preseason team, one of the few players in the league to earn that distinction.
Claire Little Chambers
Preseason All-Big 12
The conference's Preseason Player of the Year a year ago, and a preseason team selection again in 2026. All three of BYU's preseason picks made the team last season too, so this is a returning core rather than a rebuild.
Brooke Hardy
Freshman
Announced herself with a 16-kill debut in preseason play, suggesting the recruiting pipeline is still producing under the new staff.
Venue Information
The Smith Fieldhouse, on the BYU campus in Provo, UT 84602, opened in 1951 and seats roughly 5,000 for volleyball. It is small, old, on-campus and loud - the three things that make a volleyball venue hard to play in. The student section sits close enough to the service line to be a genuine factor, and BYU has built one of the more consistent home records in the country here. The Pittsburgh, UCLA, Arizona State and Utah dates are the ones to buy early.
Season Expectations
BYU was picked seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll and opens No. 24 nationally. Seventh is a real projection rather than a slight: Arizona State, TCU, Kansas, Baylor, Colorado and Iowa State all rank ahead, and every one is a top-25 or receiving-votes team. The realistic ceiling is a top-four Big 12 finish and a comfortable NCAA at-large bid; the floor is the middle of the league and a bubble conversation in late November. The wildcard is a first-year head coach inheriting a roster built for someone else's system - year one will be judged on whether the team looks coherent by November more than on where it finishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is BYU's head volleyball coach in 2026?
- Rob Neilson, in his first season. He was hired in December 2025 after six years as head coach at Utah State. Neilson played setter at BYU from 2003 to 2006 and was a member of the 2004 national championship team.
- What happened to Heather Olmstead?
- She concluded her eleven-season tenure at BYU in December 2025 to pursue other career opportunities. Her final team earned a No. 5 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and her last recruiting class produced the Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
- Where can I buy BYU volleyball tickets?
- Tickets are sold through BYU Athletics and students get in with a valid BYU ID. The Pittsburgh, UCLA, Arizona State and Utah dates are the ones to buy early. BYUtv carries non-conference home matches free to air.
Related Pages
The Squad · Roster
BYU Volleyball Roster 2026
Meet the 4 athletes on the BYU Cougars volleyball team
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Alex Bower
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Brielle Kemavor
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Claire Little Chambers
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Brooke Hardy
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Leadership · Staff
BYU Volleyball Coaches 2026
The leadership behind BYU Cougars volleyball success
Coaching Staff4
Rob Neilson
Head Coach
Rob Neilson is in his first season, hired in December 2025. He played setter at BYU from 2003 to 2006 and was a member of the 2004 national championship team, then spent ten years on the BYU men's volleyball staff, helping the program to two conference titles and a national runner-up finish in 2013. He came to Provo after six seasons as head coach at Utah State.
1 yrsChloe Hirst
Assistant Coach
Previously with Rob Neilson at Utah State.
0 yrsTorre Glasker
Assistant Coach
Previously with Rob Neilson at Utah State.
0 yrsKennedi Hansen
Director of Operations
Directs day-to-day operations for the program.
0 yrsFan Guide · FAQ
BYU Volleyball FAQ 2026
Everything you need to know about BYU Cougars volleyball
Heritage · Legacy
BYU Volleyball Program History
The BYU Cougars women's volleyball program has a rich tradition of excellence. Under head coach Heather Olmstead, BYU has consistently competed at the highest level and established itself as a national contender.
The Cougars have developed a strong recruiting pipeline and have become regular NCAA Tournament participants. The program continues to attract top talent and compete for Big 12 titles.
BYU volleyball has created a passionate fanbase at Smith Fieldhouse, with the arena providing an exciting home court atmosphere against Big 12 opponents.
Season Storylines
2026 BYU Volleyball Season
Big 12 Schedule
BYU faces tough Big 12 competition, battling rivals like Kansas, Baylor, TCU, Arizona State, and Colorado throughout the conference season.
Home Games at Smith Fieldhouse
Experience the electric atmosphere at Smith Fieldhouse where BYU volleyball creates a passionate and intimidating home court advantage.
NCAA Tournament Path
Follow BYU's journey through the NCAA Tournament as the Cougars compete against the nation's best programs.
Where to Watch
Where to Watch BYU Volleyball
Smith Fieldhouse
Address: 115 Smith Fieldhouse, Provo, UT 84602
Capacity: 5,000+ fans
Smith Fieldhouse has been the home of BYU volleyball, providing an electric atmosphere for every home match in Provo.
TV & Streaming
Networks: ESPN, FS1, Big 12 Now
Streaming: ESPN+, Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Can't make it to Provo? Catch every BYU volleyball match on television or streaming platforms.
Go Cougars
Go Cougars!
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