Season snapshot
- Record:
- 16-4
- Last result:
- L 1-3 at Texas A&M · Fri, Oct 30
- Next match:
- at Missouri · Sun, Nov 1 · 3 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN2)
- Remaining ranked opponents:
- 0
- Schedule sites:
- 13 home · 14 away
Independent fan guide · SEC
Follow the Volunteers on their journey to championship glory. Get the latest schedules, roster updates, and game information.
Last updated · Sources & updates
Tennessee match dates, TV channels and results. All times are as listed. View schedule.
Match dates & results
Scores checked Oct 31, 2026 · Times as listed
5 upcoming matches · Times shown as listed
Original analysis of the Tennessee Lady Vols program, coaching staff, and 2026 outlook.
Tennessee opens the 2026 season on August 28 against Colgate at Food City Center and closes the regular season on November 15 at South Carolina: 27 matches, a Big Ten/SEC Challenge date with Illinois, a neutral-site trip to Nashville, and a full 18-match SEC schedule. The engine is Caroline Kerr, a preseason All-SEC pick by the league's head coaches entering her fourth season as the starting setter, sixth in program history with over 3,250 career assists and a three-time All-American. When a setter has run the same offense for four years, the tempo and decision-making are baked in, and that is Tennessee's biggest structural advantage. Six transfers arrived through the portal - Kennedi Rogers from SMU, Eryn Jones from TCU, Nia Hall, Raegan Burns from Kansas, Jalyn Stout and Mallory Matheny from Indiana - which is significant depth insurance for the October crush but also the season's main risk, because chemistry takes time and this schedule does not grant much of it.
The realistic case is an upper-half SEC finish and an NCAA bid; the optimistic case is a top-four league finish and a seeded position, built on holding serve at home against Texas and Kentucky.
Tennessee has grown from an SEC afterthought into a program that recruits nationally and wins in the transfer portal under Eve Rackham Watt. Home matches are at Food City Center at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville - the same building Tennessee basketball uses, renamed in 2023 after the arena's renovation, which is why older listings still say Thompson-Boling. For volleyball the arena runs a reduced configuration rather than the full basketball bowl, keeping the crowd tight to the court and the noise contained.
Eve Rackham Watt has turned Tennessee from an SEC afterthought into a program that recruits nationally and wins in the portal. Her teams are built around serve pressure, structured defense and balanced scoring rather than one dominant pin. Her staff includes Gavin Watt as assistant coach and director of player development, Susan Clements as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, and Brian Magbitang as assistant coach, with Tyler Adams directing player personnel and analytics and MaryAnn O'Toole directing operations.
Illinois arrives on September 1 for the Big Ten/SEC Challenge, Penn State comes three weeks in, and Texas opens SEC play - a stretch that will test a portal-heavy roster before it has had time to settle. If the Volunteers look disjointed in early September, that is normal and not necessarily predictive; if they still look disjointed in mid-October, the margin is gone. The Kentucky and Texas home dates are the two that fill Food City Center, so arrive early for those. Back-row depth is the quiet strength: Tennessee carries five listed liberos and defensive specialists, and in a conference where matches turn on serve-receive, genuine competition at libero is a luxury.
Schedule and scores checked October 31, 2026 · Official source: utsports.com
Tennessee opens the 2026 season on Friday, August 28 against Colgate at Food City Center and closes the regular season on Sunday, November 15 at South Carolina. In between: 27 matches, a Big Ten/SEC Challenge date with Illinois, a neutral-site trip to Nashville, and a full 18-match SEC schedule. The roster is built around fifth-year setter Caroline Kerr, a preseason All-SEC pick entering her fourth season running the offense, and a six-player transfer class that adds significant depth. All times are Eastern unless noted, and the page is updated as the athletic department confirms changes.
Full dates, first-serve times, venues and broadcast assignments are below.
The SEC opener at home against the preseason No. 2, and one of two matches that fill Food City Center.
The other date that fills the building, against a preseason top-three program. Holding serve at home in these two is the difference between an upper-half finish and a seeded one.
The Big Ten/SEC Challenge date, three days into the season - an early test for a roster breaking in six transfers.
Three weeks into the season, against the 2024 national champion. The schedule grants very little time to settle.
The regular-season finale on the road, closing the 18-match SEC slate.
Fifth year from Champaign, Illinois. Named to the preseason All-SEC team by the league's head coaches, entering her fourth season as Tennessee's starting setter, and ranks sixth in program history with over 3,250 career assists. A three-time All-American, and the reason a portal-heavy roster can run a faster offense than most.
Senior from Dripping Springs, Texas at 6-2, with four years in the system. The pairing of an experienced setter and an experienced outside is what lets Tennessee run a riskier offense than most teams can.
Freshman from Sydney, Australia at 6-7 - the tallest player on the roster and the most intriguing developmental piece. Freshman middles rarely start in the SEC, but the block ceiling is real.
Kennedi Rogers (SMU), Eryn Jones (TCU), Nia Hall (Cleveland State/South Carolina), Raegan Burns (Kansas), Jalyn Stout (Coastal Carolina) and Mallory Matheny (Indiana) all arrived via the portal - six players with prior Division I minutes.
The realistic case is that Tennessee finishes in the upper half of the SEC and plays its way into the NCAA Tournament. The optimistic case is a top-four league finish and a seeded position, built on holding serve at home against Texas and Kentucky. The risk is the one facing every team with a portal-heavy roster - chemistry takes time, and this schedule does not grant much of it. If the Volunteers look disjointed in early September that is normal and not necessarily predictive; if they still look disjointed in mid-October, the margin is gone.
The leadership behind Tennessee Lady Volunteers volleyball success
Eve Rackham Watt has turned Tennessee from an SEC afterthought into a program that recruits nationally and wins in the portal. Her teams are built around serve pressure, structured defense and balanced scoring rather than one dominant pin.
Assistant coach and director of player development for the Volunteers.
Assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
Assistant coach on the Tennessee staff.
Directs player personnel and analytics.
Directs day-to-day operations for the program.
Everything you need to know about Tennessee Lady Volunteers volleyball
The Tennessee Volunteers play their home volleyball matches at Food City Center on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville.
Tickets can be purchased through the Tennessee Athletics website, at the Food City Center 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.
Tennessee competes in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), facing teams like Kentucky, Texas, Texas A&M, and Florida in conference play.
The complete 2026 Tennessee volleyball schedule with every Volunteers 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.
Tennessee opens the 2026 volleyball season in late August with non-conference play, then rolls into SEC matches from mid-September through November. The full 2026 slate leads into the NCAA Tournament in December.
Tennessee plays home volleyball matches at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. The arena hosts every home date on the 2026 schedule, and doors typically open about an hour before first serve.
Most 2026 Volunteers matches air on SEC 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 SEC rivalry matches plus marquee non-conference tests. See the schedule table on this page for every Volunteers opponent, dates and locations for the full 2026 season.
Meet the 9 athletes on the Tennessee Lady Volunteers volleyball team
Tennessee faces tough SEC competition, battling rivals like Kentucky, Texas, Texas A&M, and Florida throughout the conference season.
Experience the electric atmosphere at Food City Center where Tennessee volleyball creates a passionate and intimidating home court advantage.
Follow Tennessee's journey through the NCAA Tournament as the Volunteers compete against the nation's best programs.
The Tennessee Volunteers women's volleyball program has emerged as a rising power in the Southeastern Conference. Under head coach Eve Rackham Watt, Tennessee has consistently improved and become a regular NCAA Tournament participant.
The Volunteers have developed a strong recruiting pipeline, particularly from Texas, and established an exciting brand of volleyball. The program continues to build toward championship-level competition.
Tennessee volleyball has created a passionate fanbase at Food City Center, with the arena providing an electric home court advantage against SEC opponents.
Address: 1600 Phillip Fulmer Way, Knoxville, TN 37916
Capacity: 21,678 fans
Home matches are at Food City Center at Thompson-Boling Arena, 1600 Phillip Fulmer Way, Knoxville, TN 37916. It is the same building Tennessee basketball uses; the naming rights changed in 2023 after the arena's renovation, which is why older listings still say Thompson-Boling. For volleyball the arena runs a reduced configuration rather than the full basketball bowl, keeping the crowd tight to the court and the noise contained - a genuinely good atmosphere, better than the raw seating number would suggest. Doors typically open about an hour before first serve, and students get in free with a valid UT ID.
Networks: SEC Network, ESPN, ESPN2
Streaming: SEC Network+, ESPN+
Tennessee's matches are split across SEC Network, SEC Network+ and ESPN platforms, with the Big Ten/SEC Challenge date against Illinois following that event's broadcast arrangement. Non-conference road matches stream on the host school's platform. Assignments are typically confirmed shortly before each match and the table above is updated as they are announced. UT students get in free with a valid student ID, and parking is easier on volleyball nights than football or basketball, with campus lots near the arena opening in the evening.
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