FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast announced its 2026 volleyball schedule Tuesday morning as head coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen unveiled a challenging slate featuring four NCAA Tournament teams from last fall and three teams ranked in the top 25 poll at the end of the season.

More than just postseason and ranked teams, all 10 of FGCU's non-conference opponents posted .500-or-above records last season, including four programs that surpassed the 20-win total.

With the schedule announcement also comes the opportunity to purchase season tickets and mini plans for the 2026 campaign. Season tickets to FGCU Volleyball remain the best deal and can save you over 50% from single-game ticket purchases.

That non-conference slate includes two home tournaments to start the season with powerhouse programs like BYU, Florida State and West Virginia visiting Alico Arena in the first two weeks of the season.

"We are excited to bring high-level volleyball to Alico Arena, hosting several outstanding programs during our opening tournaments at the end of August and beginning of September, including BYU, Florida State, West Virginia, and others," Baziquetto-Allen said. "It will be a great opportunity for our fans to see some of the nation's top teams compete right here in Fort Myers."
 

That challenging first two weeks begins with the FGCU Invitational on Aug. 28-30 as the Eagles begin with VCU on Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. On Aug. 29 at 5 p.m., FGCU hosts a BYU team that made the NCAA Tournament last season, finished the year ranked 25^th and was in the national polls during all 16 weeks of the season last year. It will be the first time the two teams will meet on the court. The tournament wraps up on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. when the Green & Blue host Florida State in the first meeting between the two Florida schools since 2021.

September begins with the Eagles hosting the FGCU Sunshine State Classic with Florida Atlantic visiting on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. and West Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 2 p.m. This will be just the second meeting between the Eagles and the Mountaineers, while FGCU is 8-6 all-time against FAU.

FGCU heads to the Show Me State on Sept. 11-13 for the Mizzou Invitational, where the Eagles will face Wichita State (Sept. 11) for the first time ever, 2025 NCAA Tournament team Arkansas State (Sept. 12) and host Missouri (Sept. 13). The host Tigers were ranked for seven weeks last season.
 

The non-conference wraps up with FGCU's toughest challenge yet, as the Eagles head to Lincoln, Nebraska for the Husker Invitational where they will face two programs for the first time. The Green & Blue will be challenged by North Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 19. The Tar Heels finished the year ranked 19^th last season and were ranked in 14 of the 16 weeks. The weekend wraps up on Sunday, Sept. 20 when FGCU will face host Nebraska, a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country for 15 weeks last year en route to a 33-1 record.

"In our non-conference schedule, we will be competing against nationally ranked programs such as Nebraska, BYU, Missouri, and Florida State will test us early and will provide valuable opportunities to test ourselves, grow as a team, and prepare for conference play," Baziquetto-Allen said.
 

FGCU begins its conference slate in a new-look ASUN with five straight home matches. That slate starts on Saturday, Sept. 26 by hosting Stetson, followed by Queens (Oct. 2), ASUN newcomer West Florida (Oct. 4), Bellarmine (Oct. 9) and Lipscomb (Oct. 11).

The Eagles hit the road for four straight matches, traveling to Jacksonville (Oct. 16), North Florida (Oct. 17), Lipscomb (Oct. 23) and Bellarmine (Oct. 24). Then FGCU returns home to host North Florida (Oct. 30) and Jacksonville (Nov. 1) before wrapping up the regular season at West Florida (Nov. 6), Queens (Nov. 8) and Stetson (Nov. 14).

"With conference realignment, our ASUN schedule will look different this season," explained Baziquetto-Allen. "We embrace those opportunities and are eager to compete as we continue our pursuit of championships and our goal of remaining at the top of the ASUN Conference."

The Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament will begin on Thursday, Nov. 19 with first round matches, followed by the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 20. The championship match will be held on Sunday, Nov. 22.
FGCU went 19-9 (13-3 ASUN) last season and won the ASUN regular season championship. All-ASUN outside hitterJulija Grubisic Cabo returns, as does ASUN All-Freshman selection Erica Muhiz, along with five other players.

"We return a strong core led by All-ASUN selection Julija Grubisic Cabo and ASUN All-Freshman Team Erica Muhizi, while adding talented newcomers in transfers like Dinara Sabitova and Amany Kuwa. The combination of experienced returners and impactful additions has created a highly competitive environment, and we are excited to see this group come together and represent FGCU this fall. I hope to see you all at Alico this year!"
 
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the FGCU 2026 volleyball campaign are now on sale, and you can take advantage of 12 home Eagles matches, including two tournaments featuring some of the nation's best teams, with plans starting at only $60.By securing your season tickets now, you can save over 50% compared to purchasing single-game tickets for FGCU volleyball.

MINI PLANS
Not sure about a full season? Take advantage of one of our Mini Plans! Now you can Pick 2, Pick 3 or Pick 5! For just $20, you can get a ticket to any two volleyball matches. Add another game to that tally as the Pick 3 mini plan is only $25. Or spend $35 and pick any five home games from the FGCU men's soccer, women's soccer and/or volleyball schedules.

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