South Florida Volleyball Announces 2026 Schedule
July 21, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
The Bulls will face nine NCAA Tournament teams in the first 11 matches
TAMPA, Fla. (July 21, 2026) – Head Coach Jolene Shepardson and the University of South Florida volleyball team announced the 2026 schedule on Tuesday. South Florida will face one of the toughest non-conference schedules, with the Bulls playing nine opponents that reached the NCAA Tournament in 2025.
The 2026 campaign kicks off on the road at the Bluegrass Battle, hosted by Kentucky, August 28-30. South Florida faces Eastern Kentucky, who reached the conference championship match in 2025, on Friday. The Bulls will take on the Kentucky Wildcats, who reached the national championship game last season, on Sunday. South Florida wraps up the opening weekend against Utah State, which reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2025, on Sunday.
The Bulls head west to California for two more matches against teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last season. On Thursday, September 5, South Florida faces Stanford, followed by a match on Saturday, September 5, against Marquette.
Tickets:
For more information or to purchase season tickets, visit the official website at gousfbulls.com or contact the ticket office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or click HERE.
The Bulls make their home debut at the South Florida Invitational, September 10-12. USF will face TCU on Thursday, Dayton on Friday, and Michigan on Saturday. Both the Horned Frogs and the Wolverines reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
The Bulls conclude the non-conference portion of the schedule with the Penn State Classic on September 18 and 19. South Florida battles Tennessee on Friday and Penn State on Saturday. The Volunteers fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, while the Nittany Lions made it to the second round.
The Bulls open conference play on Friday, September 25, in Tulsa against their final NCAA Tournament team from 2025, the Golden Hurricane, the American Conference Tournament champions. USF ends September on the road at UAB on September 27.
The conference home opener will be on Friday, October 2, against the defending regular-season champions, the Rice Owls. The weekend will conclude on Sunday, October 4, with a game against Temple.
The Bulls return to the road for two matches in Texas. On October 9, South Florida plays North Texas, and on Sunday, October 11, USF will face UTSA.
The Bulls are at home for the next four matches. On Friday, October 16, South Florida hosts Charlotte. On Sunday, October 18, Tulane travels to Tampa. The Bulls face in-state foe Florida Atlantic on Wednesday, October 21. The four-match homestand concludes on Sunday, October 25, with Memphis.
South Florida faces Rice for the second time this season on October 30 in Houston. The Bulls remain on the road for a meeting with East Carolina on November 1. South Florida travels to Florida Atlantic on Wednesday, November 4.
USF returns to the Corral on Sunday, November 8, to face UAB. The regular season's final road trip is Friday, November 13, at Tulane. The regular season finale is Sunday, November 15, against East Carolina in Tampa.
The 2026 American Conference Championship will be held November 20-22 on the campus of Rice in Houston.
Follow us:
Be sure to follow South Florida volleyball on social media (X / Instagram / Facebook) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
About South Florida Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her seventh season at the helm of her alma mater in 2026. Named head coach on January 8, 2020, as a player she helped lead the Bulls to two conference championships and a pair of NCAA tournament appearances. As head coach, she led the Bulls back to the NCAA Tournament in 2025 for the first time since she was a player in 2002 and guided USF to the 2024 AAC regular-season championship, earning her first Coach of the Year Honor. In 2023, the Bulls won the American Conference East Division, made a postseason appearance in the NIVC, and advanced to the Fab Four to mark the longest postseason run in program history.
South Florida Volleyball has won nine Player of the Year honors, most recently with Maria Clara Andrade winning American Conference honors in back-to-back years in 2024 and 2025. The Bulls have also earned four Setter of the Year honors, most recently with Caroline Dykes being recognized in 2024.
South Florida volleyball has made eight NCAA Tournament appearances and won 13 conference titles since the program's inception in 1972. The Bulls play in The Corral (1,000), located adjacent to the Yuengling Center on the USF campus in Tampa.
The 2026 campaign kicks off on the road at the Bluegrass Battle, hosted by Kentucky, August 28-30. South Florida faces Eastern Kentucky, who reached the conference championship match in 2025, on Friday. The Bulls will take on the Kentucky Wildcats, who reached the national championship game last season, on Sunday. South Florida wraps up the opening weekend against Utah State, which reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2025, on Sunday.
The Bulls head west to California for two more matches against teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last season. On Thursday, September 5, South Florida faces Stanford, followed by a match on Saturday, September 5, against Marquette.
Tickets:
For more information or to purchase season tickets, visit the official website at gousfbulls.com or contact the ticket office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or click HERE.
The Bulls make their home debut at the South Florida Invitational, September 10-12. USF will face TCU on Thursday, Dayton on Friday, and Michigan on Saturday. Both the Horned Frogs and the Wolverines reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
The Bulls conclude the non-conference portion of the schedule with the Penn State Classic on September 18 and 19. South Florida battles Tennessee on Friday and Penn State on Saturday. The Volunteers fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, while the Nittany Lions made it to the second round.
The Bulls open conference play on Friday, September 25, in Tulsa against their final NCAA Tournament team from 2025, the Golden Hurricane, the American Conference Tournament champions. USF ends September on the road at UAB on September 27.
The conference home opener will be on Friday, October 2, against the defending regular-season champions, the Rice Owls. The weekend will conclude on Sunday, October 4, with a game against Temple.
The Bulls return to the road for two matches in Texas. On October 9, South Florida plays North Texas, and on Sunday, October 11, USF will face UTSA.
The Bulls are at home for the next four matches. On Friday, October 16, South Florida hosts Charlotte. On Sunday, October 18, Tulane travels to Tampa. The Bulls face in-state foe Florida Atlantic on Wednesday, October 21. The four-match homestand concludes on Sunday, October 25, with Memphis.
South Florida faces Rice for the second time this season on October 30 in Houston. The Bulls remain on the road for a meeting with East Carolina on November 1. South Florida travels to Florida Atlantic on Wednesday, November 4.
USF returns to the Corral on Sunday, November 8, to face UAB. The regular season's final road trip is Friday, November 13, at Tulane. The regular season finale is Sunday, November 15, against East Carolina in Tampa.
The 2026 American Conference Championship will be held November 20-22 on the campus of Rice in Houston.
Follow us:
Be sure to follow South Florida volleyball on social media (X / Instagram / Facebook) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
About South Florida Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her seventh season at the helm of her alma mater in 2026. Named head coach on January 8, 2020, as a player she helped lead the Bulls to two conference championships and a pair of NCAA tournament appearances. As head coach, she led the Bulls back to the NCAA Tournament in 2025 for the first time since she was a player in 2002 and guided USF to the 2024 AAC regular-season championship, earning her first Coach of the Year Honor. In 2023, the Bulls won the American Conference East Division, made a postseason appearance in the NIVC, and advanced to the Fab Four to mark the longest postseason run in program history.
South Florida Volleyball has won nine Player of the Year honors, most recently with Maria Clara Andrade winning American Conference honors in back-to-back years in 2024 and 2025. The Bulls have also earned four Setter of the Year honors, most recently with Caroline Dykes being recognized in 2024.
South Florida volleyball has made eight NCAA Tournament appearances and won 13 conference titles since the program's inception in 1972. The Bulls play in The Corral (1,000), located adjacent to the Yuengling Center on the USF campus in Tampa.
Players Mentioned
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