CHICAGO, Ill. – Chicago State University Head Volleyball Coach Kamille Jones has announced the Cougars' 2026 volleyball schedule, featuring a competitive nonconference slate, four early-season tournaments and the NEC Conference schedule.
The 2026 campaign features 28 total matches, including two exhibition contests, 12 nonconference regular season matches and 14 NEC Conference matches. The Cougars will travel during the opening month of the season before hosting four NEC opponents as they continue building momentum in year two under Jones.
"We're excited about the opportunities this schedule provides our student athletes," Jones said. "Every weekend presents a chance for us to compete against quality opponents, continue our growth as a program and prepare ourselves for conference play. Our team has worked hard this offseason, and we're looking forward to representing Chicago State throughout the country this fall."
Chicago State opens the season with a pair of exhibition contests, hosting Quincy University on Aug. 15 before traveling to UIC on Aug. 22. The Cougars officially begin the regular season at the Seattle U Tournament (Aug. 28-30), where they will face Seattle, Eastern Washington and North Dakota.
The nonconference schedule continues at the Omaha Tournament (Sept. 3-5) against Louisiana Tech, Western Michigan and Omaha before traveling to the SIUE Cougar Classic (Sept. 11-12) to take on NIU, SIUE and UAPB. Chicago State wraps up tournament play at the Utah Tech Tournament (Sept. 17-19), facing UC Riverside, Southern Utah and tournament host Utah Tech.
The Cougars begin NEC Conference play on Oct. 2-3 with a home series against Stonehill before welcoming LIU (Oct. 9-10), Le Moyne (Oct. 23-24) and Mercyhurst (Nov. 6-7) during the regular season. Chicago State will travel to CCSU (Oct. 16-17), FDU (Oct. 30-31) and New Haven (Nov. 13-14) to complete its conference schedule.
"Our goal is to compete at a high level every time we step on the court while continuing to establish the standard for Chicago State Volleyball," Jones added. "We're excited to play in front of our fans this season and look forward to seeing the Cougar community support us throughout the year."
Chicago State will host eight regular season home matches during NEC play, in addition to its exhibition opener against Roosevelt.
Match dates, times and locations are subject to change. Fans are encouraged to visit GoCSUCougars.com throughout the season for the latest schedule updates, match coverage and additional information.
- Aug. 15 – Quincy University (Exhibition) – 2 p.m.
- Oct. 2 – Stonehill – 6 p.m.
- Oct. 3 – Stonehill – 1 p.m.
- Oct. 9 – LIU – 6 p.m.
- Oct. 10 – LIU – 1 p.m.
- Oct. 23 – Le Moyne – 6 p.m.
- Oct. 24 – Le Moyne – 1 p.m.
- Nov. 6 – Mercyhurst – 6 p.m.
- Nov. 7 – Mercyhurst – 1 p.m.
Follow Chicago State Volleyball all season long by visiting GoCSUCougars.com and following @Chicagostatevball on social media.
