Season snapshot
- Record:
- 17-4
- Last result:
- W 3-1 at NC State · Fri, Oct 30
- Next match:
- at Wake Forest · Sun, Nov 1 · 12:00 pm CT (TV: ACCNX)
- Remaining ranked opponents:
- 2
- Schedule sites:
- 13 home · 20 away
Independent fan guide · ACC
Follow the Mustangs on their journey to championship glory. Get the latest schedules, roster updates, and game information.
Last updated · Sources & updates
SMU match dates, TV channels and results. All times are as listed. View schedule.
Match dates & results
Scores checked Oct 31, 2026 · Times as listed
9 upcoming matches · Times shown as listed
Original analysis of the SMU Mustangs program, coaching staff, and 2026 outlook.
SMU enters 2026 ranked No. 11 in the AVCA preseason poll - the highest preseason ranking in program history - and picked fourth in the ACC by the league's coaches. That is the reward for a 2025 season in which the Mustangs tied a program record with 27 wins, climbed to No. 7 nationally and reached the first Sweet 16 in school history, with signature wins over Louisville, Stanford and a sweep of eventual national champion Texas A&M at Moody in September. The core is back and it got better. Junior middle blocker Favor Anyanwu returns after hitting .409 with 178 total blocks, fifth-most in the country.
Joining her is Suli Davis, the BYU transfer who was an AVCA Second Team All-American as a freshman and set the Cougars' freshman kill record with 541. Both were named Preseason All-ACC and both sit on the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List. Head coach Sam Erger built the schedule to match the expectations: nine opponents are ranked in the AVCA preseason top 25, five of them in the top 10, and SMU plays eight of its ten non-conference matches away from Dallas. There is no soft landing anywhere on this slate, which is exactly the point when the NCAA selection committee starts weighing resumes in December.
SMU's 2025 season was the best in program history: 27 wins to tie the program record, a third-place ACC finish, a climb to No. 7 nationally - the highest ranking the program has ever held - and the first Sweet 16 appearance in school history. Along the way the Mustangs beat Louisville and Stanford and swept eventual national champion Texas A&M at Moody Coliseum in September. The 2026 preseason ranking of No. 11 is also a program first. NCAA.com noted that the only two national champions to start a season outside the preseason top 10 - UCLA in 2011 and Stanford in 2016 - were both ranked exactly No. 11.
Sam Erger is in his fifth season leading SMU and has taken the program from an American Athletic Conference contender to a top-15 national team in the ACC. His 2025 side tied the program record with 27 wins, finished third in the ACC, reached No. 7 in the national rankings and made the program's first Sweet 16. Erger's staff has been especially effective in the transfer portal - Suli Davis from BYU and Jadyn Livings from USC are the current examples - while continuing to recruit heavily in Texas. Trent Sorensen serves as associate head coach.
The ACC opener against preseason No. 5 Stanford at Moody Coliseum on September 25 is the loudest statement available before October; SMU beat the Cardinal in 2025. The second annual Showdown at the Net brings No. 2 Texas to Dallas on September 9, the biggest non-conference home ticket of the year. SMU plays preseason No. 4 Pittsburgh twice inside four days, in Pittsburgh on October 7 and at home on October 11. Louisville visits on November 12 in an ESPNU window.
And on August 27, Spikes Under the Lights puts SMU alongside Nebraska, Penn State and Florida at AT&T Stadium in an exhibition with a $1 million prize pool. The Paradise Invitational in Nassau on September 12-13 is the first event of its kind held outside the United States.
Schedule and scores checked October 31, 2026 · Official source: smumustangs.com
The 2026 SMU volleyball schedule runs 30 matches - 10 non-conference and 20 in the ACC - from the season opener against Texas A&M in Milwaukee on August 23 to the regular-season finale at Louisville on November 28. Twelve of those matches are at Moody Coliseum in Dallas. SMU opens No. 11 in the AVCA preseason poll, the highest preseason ranking in program history, and was picked fourth in the ACC behind Stanford, Pittsburgh and Louisville. The slate is deliberately punishing: nine opponents are ranked in the AVCA preseason top 25, five of them in the top 10, and eight of the ten non-conference matches are away from Dallas, five at neutral sites across five states and one country.
Texas visits Moody on September 9 for the second annual Showdown at the Net, Stanford opens ACC play there on September 25, and Pittsburgh is played twice inside four days in October. The Paradise Invitational at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in Nassau on September 12-13 is the first event of its kind held outside the United States, and the September 2 trip to TCU is the first meeting between the schools since 2021. Full dates, times, TV assignments, venues and results are below.
The ACC opener against the conference's preseason favorite and national No. 5. SMU beat Stanford in 2025; doing it again at home would be the loudest statement available before October.
The second annual Showdown at the Net brings preseason No. 2 Texas to Moody Coliseum. The biggest non-conference home ticket of the year.
The back half of a home-and-home with preseason No. 4 Pitt inside four days. Split the pair and SMU's ACC ceiling stays intact; sweep it and the conference race changes shape.
A Thursday-night ESPNU window against preseason No. 7 Louisville, a team SMU beat in 2025.
An exhibition, but not a small one: SMU, Nebraska, Penn State and Florida in an NFL stadium with a $1 million prize pool. The first event of its kind.
Junior from Rowlett, Texas and a Preseason All-ACC pick on the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List. Started all 33 matches in 2025 with 206 kills at .409, the second-best single-season hitting percentage in program history, and 178 total blocks, fifth nationally. Three-time gold medalist with Team USA.
Sophomore from Euless, Texas who transferred from BYU, where she was an AVCA Second Team All-American as a freshman with 541 kills, a program freshman record, and 30 double-digit-kill matches. Named Best Outside Hitter at the 2025 FIVB U19 World Championship and a 2026 U.S. U21 National Team member.
Junior from The Colony, Texas, a transfer addition from USC who adds experienced depth to the pin rotation.
Freshman at 6-foot-5, part of a newcomer group that also includes Bojana Ambulija, Levariya Pinder and Victoria Shupe alongside transfers Victoria Harris and Gabi Placide.
SMU opens at No. 11 nationally, its highest preseason ranking ever, and fourth in an ACC that placed four teams in the AVCA preseason top 11. The floor is a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance; the ceiling is a first regional final, built on returning Favor Anyanwu and adding AVCA All-American Suli Davis. The schedule is the argument either way - nine ranked opponents and eight of ten non-conference matches away from Dallas will produce a resume with no ambiguity in it by December. NCAA.com noted that the only two national champions to start outside the preseason top 10, UCLA in 2011 and Stanford in 2016, were both ranked exactly No. 11.
The leadership behind SMU Mustangs volleyball success
Sam Erger is in his fifth season leading SMU. In 2025 the Mustangs tied a program record with 27 wins, finished third in the ACC, climbed to No. 7 nationally and reached the first Sweet 16 in school history, with signature wins over Louisville, Stanford and eventual national champion Texas A&M.
Associate head coach on Sam Erger's staff.
Directs player personnel and coordinates recruiting for the Mustangs.
Assistant coach on the SMU staff.
Leads strength, conditioning and sports performance for SMU volleyball.
Directs day-to-day operations for the program.
Meet the 15 athletes on the SMU Mustangs volleyball team
Everything you need to know about SMU Mustangs volleyball
The SMU Mustangs play their home volleyball matches at Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas, which provides an electric atmosphere for every home match.
Tickets can be purchased through the SMU Athletics website, at the Moody Coliseum box office, or through authorized ticket resellers.
Doors typically open 60 minutes before the scheduled match time. We recommend arriving early for the best seating options.
SMU competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), facing teams like Louisville, Pittsburgh, Stanford, and Notre Dame in conference play.
The complete 2026 SMU volleyball schedule with every Mustangs match, opponent, date, time and location is listed on this page above. It is updated whenever the athletic department confirms new times, TV assignments or venue changes.
SMU's latest recorded season record is 17-4, checked Sat, Oct 31.
SMU's regular season began August 23 with a 3-0 win over #8 Texas A&M at the Jeep AVCA First Serve in Milwaukee. The Mustangs also played exhibition matches against Penn State and Nebraska on August 27 at AT&T Stadium before traveling to Fort Collins for matches against Colorado State and UC Davis. ACC play starts September 25 against Stanford.
SMU plays home volleyball matches at Moody Coliseum in Dallas. The arena hosts every home date on the 2026 schedule, and doors typically open about an hour before first serve.
Most 2026 Mustangs matches air on ACC network partners (ESPN, ESPN+, Big Ten Network, ACC Network, SEC Network or FS1 depending on the game). Each row on the schedule above shows the confirmed TV or streaming outlet as soon as it is announced.
The 2026 schedule features ACC rivalry matches plus marquee non-conference tests. See the schedule table on this page for every Mustangs opponent, dates and locations for the full 2026 season.
SMU faces the toughest conference in the nation, battling rivals like Louisville, Pittsburgh, Stanford, and Notre Dame throughout the ACC season.
Experience the electric atmosphere at Moody Coliseum where SMU volleyball draws enthusiastic crowds and creates an unmatched home court advantage.
Follow SMU's journey through the NCAA Tournament as the Mustangs compete for deep postseason runs and establish themselves among the nation's elite.
Address: 3104 SMU Blvd, Dallas, TX 75205
Capacity: 7,000 fans
Moody Coliseum, 6024 Airline Rd, Dallas, TX 75205, on the SMU campus in University Park. The building opened in 1956 and was renovated in 2013. Doors open approximately 60 minutes before first serve and free parking is available in the Binkley Garage on home match nights. SMU hosts 12 matches here in 2026, including Texas, Stanford, Pittsburgh, Louisville, North Carolina and Notre Dame.
Networks: ACC Network, ESPN, ESPN2
Streaming: ACC Network Extra, ESPN+
Every ACC conference match is carried by ACC Network or ACC Network Extra (ACCNX). Selected matches appear on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, including the season opener against Texas A&M on ESPN2, Pittsburgh at home on October 11 on ESPN, and Louisville on November 12 on ESPNU. The Spikes Under the Lights exhibition at AT&T Stadium airs on TNT. Non-conference road matches stream on the host school's platform; the Colorado State match on August 29 streams on YouTube.
ACC Network is available on Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo and DirecTV Stream, and ACCNX streams through the ESPN app with a TV provider login. Networks are typically confirmed 7 to 10 days before each match; the table above is updated as assignments are announced.
The SMU Mustangs women's volleyball program has rapidly risen to become one of the elite programs in the nation. Under head coach Sam Erger, SMU has joined the ACC and immediately made an impact.
The Mustangs have produced numerous All-Americans and have established themselves as a competitive force in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The program's commitment to excellence has made SMU a destination for top recruits.
SMU volleyball has created one of the most passionate fanbases in college volleyball. Moody Coliseum provides an intimate yet electric atmosphere for every home match.
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