Ball State University Athletics
Women’s Volleyball Announces 2026 Schedule
April 29, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - While the road to the 2026 Mid-American Conference Championships leads to Worthen Arena, the Ball State women's volleyball team will face another tough schedule to get there.
In the 2026 schedule released by head coach Kelli Miller Phillips Wednesday (April 29), the Cardinals will take on five NCAA Tournament qualifiers and 10 top 150 teams from a year ago. That is just the tune-up before the 16-match league gauntlet begins.
In fact, Ball State will be battle-tested before the campaign even starts; opening exhibition play with an Aug. 14 showdown at Purdue. The Cardinals also host UIndy in an Aug. 20 exhibition, giving fans their first glimpse of the 2026 squad in Muncie.
The regular season kicks off with Ball State on the road for the first three weekends, playing in tournaments at Notre Dame (Aug. 28-29), at Wright State (Sept. 3-5) and at Campbell (Sept. 11). The Cardinals also travel to Cincinnati (Sept. 15), before hosting Northwestern (Sept 17) and IU Indy (Sept. 19) in its annual home tournament.
#MACtion beings with Ball State hosting last season's runner-up Western Michigan in a two-game series Sept. 25-26. The next weekend, the Cardinals travel to defending tournament champion Toledo for a pair of matches Oct. 2-3.
Overall, the Cardinals will play six of the league's 10 opposing teams twice, with a home series versus Bowling Green (Oct. 30-31), road swings at Ohio (Oct. 16-17) and Buffalo (Nov. 6-7) and a home-and-home with Miami (Oct. 6 in Muncie and Oct. 20 in Oxford).
Ball State will also host Central Michigan (Oct. 10), Akron (Oct. 23) and Kent State (Nov. 13), while traveling to Eastern Michigan (Nov. 14).
By virtue of winning the 2025 MAC Regular Season title, the Cardinals host the 2026 MAC Volleyball Championship Nov. 20-22 in Worthen Arena. The winner will receive the league's automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA DI Women's Volleyball Championship which begins with first and second round competitions on campus sites Dec. 3-5.
In the 2026 schedule released by head coach Kelli Miller Phillips Wednesday (April 29), the Cardinals will take on five NCAA Tournament qualifiers and 10 top 150 teams from a year ago. That is just the tune-up before the 16-match league gauntlet begins.
In fact, Ball State will be battle-tested before the campaign even starts; opening exhibition play with an Aug. 14 showdown at Purdue. The Cardinals also host UIndy in an Aug. 20 exhibition, giving fans their first glimpse of the 2026 squad in Muncie.
The regular season kicks off with Ball State on the road for the first three weekends, playing in tournaments at Notre Dame (Aug. 28-29), at Wright State (Sept. 3-5) and at Campbell (Sept. 11). The Cardinals also travel to Cincinnati (Sept. 15), before hosting Northwestern (Sept 17) and IU Indy (Sept. 19) in its annual home tournament.
#MACtion beings with Ball State hosting last season's runner-up Western Michigan in a two-game series Sept. 25-26. The next weekend, the Cardinals travel to defending tournament champion Toledo for a pair of matches Oct. 2-3.
Overall, the Cardinals will play six of the league's 10 opposing teams twice, with a home series versus Bowling Green (Oct. 30-31), road swings at Ohio (Oct. 16-17) and Buffalo (Nov. 6-7) and a home-and-home with Miami (Oct. 6 in Muncie and Oct. 20 in Oxford).
Ball State will also host Central Michigan (Oct. 10), Akron (Oct. 23) and Kent State (Nov. 13), while traveling to Eastern Michigan (Nov. 14).
By virtue of winning the 2025 MAC Regular Season title, the Cardinals host the 2026 MAC Volleyball Championship Nov. 20-22 in Worthen Arena. The winner will receive the league's automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA DI Women's Volleyball Championship which begins with first and second round competitions on campus sites Dec. 3-5.
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