LEXINGTON, Ky. (AVCA/SMU) - The American Volleyball Association (AVCA) has revealed SMU volleyball as one of the eight teams that will be part of the 2026 AVCA First Serve season-opening event at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum, August 21-23.   

The marquee 2026 field will feature all four of the 2025 NCAA Championship semifinalists in Texas A&M, Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin. The rest of the field, which includes Arizona State, Louisville, Texas, and the Mustangs, each finished among the top 12 teams in the final 2025 AVCA/TARAFLEX Division I Women's Volleyball Poll.  

"We are thrilled to be invited amongst the top teams in the country to open the 2026 season and can't wait to compete with the new squad," said head coach Sam Erger. "The First Serve Showcase is an exciting event on the biggest national stage and displays volleyball as a premier women's sport and that's exactly where SMU wants to be."

Tickets for AVCA First Serve, which will mark the beginning of the 2026 women's volleyball season, will go on sale on Friday, Jan. 30, at 10 a.m. CT at www.fiservforum.com. Other updates on the event can be found on the 2026 AVCA First Serve page, and make sure to sign up for the Fan Pack Giveaway, which includes tickets, lodging, and meal credit for the event.