By: Parker Haynie- Assistant Director of Communications
CEDAR CITY, UTAH – Southern Utah University Volleyball has officially announced its 2026 schedule as the Thunderbirds prepare for an exciting season that includes a challenging non-conference slate and their return to Big Sky Conference play.
Head Coach Danielle Jensen said
"We're excited about the opportunities this schedule presents for our team. Our non-conference matches will challenge us early and help prepare us for the grind of Big Sky play. Returning to the Big Sky brings a lot of excitement for our program, and we're looking forward to competing against some strong teams while continuing to build toward our goals this season."
The 2026 campaign begins with tournament action in California, where the Thunderbirds will open the season on August 28 against Gonzaga at Saint Mary's, then face tournament host Saint Mary's on August 29. SUU wraps up the opening weekend on August 30 against Pacific at Cal State.
The Thunderbirds continue non-conference play the following weekend at Fresno State, taking on UC Irvine on September 4 and New Mexico State on September 5.
SUU heads to Seattle the next weekend for matchups against Texas Southern on September 11 and Seattle University on September 12.
The Thunderbirds will make their home debut on September 18 when they host Chicago State inside the America First Event Center before welcoming UC Riverside on September 19 to close out non-conference play.
Southern Utah opens Big Sky Conference action on the road beginning September 24 at Northern Arizona before traveling to Portland State on September 26. The Thunderbirds will then head to in-state rival Utah Tech on September 29.
Conference play shifts to Cedar City on October 3 when SUU hosts Northern Colorado before welcoming Idaho State on October 8 and Weber State on October 10.
The Thunderbirds return to the road for matches at Montana on October 15 and Montana State on October 17 before returning home to host Eastern Washington on October 22. SUU will then travel to Idaho on October 24.
Southern Utah closes out October with home contests against Montana State on October 29 and Montana on October 31.
The final stretch of the regular season begins with road matches at Weber State on November 5 and Idaho State on November 7 before SUU hosts Utah Tech on November 10. The Thunderbirds will travel to Northern Colorado on November 12, then close the regular season at home against Portland State on November 19 and Northern Arizona on November 21.
The 2026 Big Sky Conference Championships are scheduled for November 23-25 at Northern Arizona.
With strong non-conference competition and a full Big Sky schedule ahead, the Thunderbirds will look to build momentum throughout the fall as they compete for a spot in the conference tournament.
Follow Us
Stay up to date on the Thunderbirds Volleyball program by following @SUUVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram and liking the Southern Utah Volleyball page on Facebook.
Donate
To help support Thunderbirds athletics, consider donating today! To learn more about how you can support, click here.
