SMU Volleyball Takes Elite Experience Into The Challenge Of ACC Play
Sep 24 | Volleyball
When the SMU volleyball team hosts Stanford to open ACC play at Moody Coliseum on Friday night, there is little doubt that it will be ready.
The No. 5 Mustangs have already faced some of the top teams in the country during the nonconference portion of the season, building experience against elite competition before beginning ACC play.
SMU opened the year with a 3-0 sweep of defending national champion Texas A&M and then faced 2024 national champion Penn State and perennial powerhouse and top-ranked Nebraska at Spikes Under the Lights.Â
In their home opener, the Mustangs defeated Texas and then beat then-No. 3 Kentucky to open the Paradise Invitational in the Bahamas. Through 10 official matches and two exhibitions, SMU has faced five Top 10 teams and another two Top 20 programs.
And when No. 12 Stanford comes to Dallas on Friday, it will mean the Mustangs have faced every national championship-winning program since 2012 except one and all but two since 2006.
"I love how competitive the ACC is and how competitive our schedule is this year," senior middle blocker Favor Anyanwu said. "We're playing a lot of top-ranked teams, a lot of Top 25 teams, Top 10 teams, and I feel like our coaches are doing a great job just throwing us into the fire. We're getting exposed to it a lot sooner and are able to make adjustments along the way."
It's a challenge SMU head coach Sam Erger wants for her team but, more importantly, wants her players to embrace for themselves. The best want to compete against the best, but there can't be a fear of failure.
The Mustangs use the phrase "Burn the Boats" as a rallying cry, especially in big matches. The understanding is that while they might not win every match, they are going to battle to the end no matter what.
"There's a risk with such a tough schedule, but the hope is that you either have a really good win or a not bad loss," Erger said. "Obviously, though, your team still needs to gain some confidence, so it's hard. That piece of it is challenging, and we really try to prep them for that. Adversity is coming. We might not win every match, of course we want to, but this is to prepare us for the future. We (beat) Texas A&M last year, and they went on to win a national championship, so we know it's a long season."
And the challenges won't stop with Stanford.
SMU will face No. 2 Pittsburgh, No. 4 Louisville and a Georgia Tech team receiving votes twice, while No. 24 North Carolina comes to Dallas.
But the Mustangs know they cannot afford to overlook anyone in between.
"I wouldn't want it any other way, and I think the rest of the team and the staff think so too," sophomore defensive specialist and captain Sarah Frazee said. "Going into those matches and having a season where we're always facing tough competition, it really sets us up so well for the matches that we're going to face down the road."
While the Mustangs don't accept losing, they have to accept that possibility exists. If too much focus is on the end result, not enough focus is put into the process.Â
"I just want them to enjoy it and have fun and anything to get them really where their feet are in the moment and playing with freedom," Erger said. "I think that is something that a lot of young athletes struggle with today. So you're just trying to give them any tools. If they're so worried about the outcome and afraid to lose, they lose the ability to play free. So we're open to talking about that."
Even with a younger team and some new faces, that process is yielding results. The Mustangs have earned their highest ranking in program history, sitting at No. 5.
Now, that ranking will be tested every time they step onto the court in ACC play.
"It just shows the pure grit and talent that we have," Erger said. "We talk a lot about discipline, and I think whenever we do face these tough opponents, we don't really care who's on the other side. We just focus on what we've done day-in and day-out in practice, and we just stay disciplined with what we've practiced."
It's part of the progress the SMU program has made under Erger. In 2024, the Mustangs entered the national rankings for the first time in program history, reaching as high as 15th. They entered the 2025 season ranked 10th and would rise as high as No. 7, hosting NCAA Tournament matches and reaching the third round of the tourney, both for the first time.
This season, SMU has competed in the AVCA First Serve showcase, Spikes Under the Lights at AT&T Stadium and the Paradise Invitational in the Bahamas. Spikes Under the Lights featured a $1 million prize pool, while the Paradise Invitational was the first volleyball tournament played internationally.
The other teams involved are some of the nation's top programs. SMU has now positioned itself to be in that conversation.
"More parity in volleyball is a good thing," Erger said. "More schools investing in players, in NIL, in revenue share, and in environments is a good thing, and we want to build that in Dallas. (Texas has) been them, and many others have been a great example of what can be done when you really invest. We just want to do the same thing."
Now comes the ACC.
Another challenge. Another opportunity.
Another chance for the Mustangs to burn the boats. It starts with Stanford.
