SMU volleyball opens 2026 ranked No. 11 nationally, but the Mustangs won’t get an easy runway with a schedule loaded with Top 25 opponents.
SMU volleyball won’t have much time to ease into the 2026 season.
The Mustangs will begin the year ranked No. 11 in the AVCA-Taraflex Division I Preseason Poll, putting coach Sam Erger’s program firmly among the national contenders entering his fifth season in Dallas.
And SMU’s opening test should tell everyone plenty.
The Mustangs begin the season against No. 8 Texas A&M on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee as part of the AVCA First Serve event. That matchup is only the beginning of what could be one of the toughest schedules in college volleyball.
SMU is scheduled to face nine teams ranked in the preseason Top 25, including five inside the top 10.
That group includes No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Kentucky, No. 4 Pittsburgh, No. 5 Stanford, No. 7 Louisville, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Purdue, No. 18 TCU and No. 19 North Carolina.
There could be even more heavyweight competition coming.
SMU will also meet No. 10 Penn State during the Spikes Under the Lights exhibition showcase at AT&T Stadium on Aug. 27, with a potential matchup against either No. 1 Nebraska or No. 17 Florida also possible during the event.
In other words, the Mustangs are going to find out quickly whether that No. 11 ranking is justified.
The schedule also features several programs receiving votes in the preseason poll, including Miami, Georgia Tech, Rice, San Diego and Florida State.
SMU is one of five ACC programs ranked in the preseason Top 25, joining Pittsburgh, Stanford, Louisville and North Carolina.
Three of those teams enter the season ranked inside the national top 10, highlighting just how difficult the conference race could become.
For SMU, simply appearing in the preseason poll is another sign of how far the program has climbed under Erger.
This is the second consecutive season the Mustangs will open the year nationally ranked, creating expectations that go well beyond simply making the postseason.
Fans won’t have to wait until Milwaukee for their first glimpse of the team.
SMU will hold its Red vs. Blue Scrimmage Wednesday at 7 p.m. inside Moody Coliseum, with free admission.
After that, the real tests begin.
With Texas A&M waiting in the opener and a parade of nationally ranked opponents ahead, SMU’s 2026 season won’t be about avoiding pressure.
It’ll be about proving the Mustangs belong among college volleyball’s elite.
