Women's Volleyball | 7/2/2026 1:00:00 PM
MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – Director of Volleyball, Leonid Yelin, has announced the 2026 schedule for the Barry University women's volleyball team this fall. And it's a daunting one, as five of the seven non-conference opponents won at least 20 matches last year, and another one had 19.
"This schedule was intentionally constructed to challenge our team against elite competition, featuring five non-conference opponents that earned 20 or more wins last season to directly align with our ultimate goal of winning a national championship," Yelin said. "With Division II's transition to the National Performance Indicator (NPI), playing these high-caliber programs will maximize our postseason resume and significantly boost our ranking. Most importantly, battling this level of talent early prepares us both mentally and physically to navigate the absolute gauntlet that is the Sunshine State Conference."
The Bucs, coming off a 25-5 campaign that saw them reach the regional final, have 27 matches this season, including 13 at the Health & Sports Center where the Bucs are 288-112 (72 winning percentage) in 38 seasons.
Full 2026 Schedule
The season begins with Barry traveling to Waltham, Mass., for the Sandy Hoffman Memorial Tournament hosted by Bentley. They face off against Central Missouri (20-8), Grand Valley State (19-9), and Bentley (27-5) from Thursday, Aug. 27 to Saturday, Aug. 29. It's the first meeting against Central Missouri (3-2 UCM win last meeting) since 2019. It's the first meeting with Grand Valley State (3-0 GVSU win last meeting) and Bentley (3-0 Barry win last meeting) since 2012.
The Buccaneers host Converse University (21-8), St. Cloud State (28-7), and Lubbock Christian (25-8) for the BarryU Invitational from Thursday, Sept. 3 to Saturday, Sept. 5. The invitational has Barry facing two brand new opponents with Converse (Sept. 4) and Lubbock Christian (Sept. 5). On Saturday, Sept. 5 the Buccaneers has their third match against St. Cloud State, Barry won the meeting last season 3-1.
Barry's final match before conference play is in Daytona Beach, Fla., against Lewis (15-14) on Saturday, Sept. 12. It is the fifth meeting with the Flyers, the Buccaneers won last season's meeting 3-1 and currently hold a 3-1 overall record.
Conference play begins with Barry hosting arch-rival Lynn (22-10) on Friday, Sept. 18 for the first of two meetings. Barry won all three matches against the Fighting Knights last season including a 3-0 win during the NCAA South Regional Semifinals.
On Saturday, Sept. 19 the Buccaneers travel to cross-town rival Nova Southeastern (18-11) for the first of two meetings this season. Barry has a 46-14 overall record against the Sharks after winning both meetings last season.
The Bucs host Florida Tech (15-13) on Sept. 22 and Palm Beach Atlantic (22-10) on Sept. 24 for the first meeting of the season with both. Barry won both matches against the Panthers last season, holding a 64-10 record all-time. The Buccaneers lost both meetings with the Sailfish last season and fell to an overall record of 18-22.
Barry is on the road for four games, coming against Saint Leo (2-24) on Oct. 2, Eckerd (19-13) on Oct. 3, Florida Southern (12-16) on Oct. 9, and Tampa (32-1) on Oct. 10. Barry has won nine straight against the Lions, holding a 58-18 overall record. The Bucs hold an overall record of 54-21 against the Tritons, winning five straight matches. Barry won both meetings against Florida Southern last season, taking the slight edge in the overall series with a 44-42 record. The Buccaneers lost all three meetings with the Spartans last season, including the regional final.
The Buccaneers are back at the Health & Sports Center for three straight beginning with a rematch against Nova Southeastern on Tuesday, Oct. 13. It's followed up with the first meeting of the season with Embry-Riddle (16-14) and Rollins (16-17). Barry won both meetings last season with Embry-Riddle and currently holds a 13-7 overall record. The Bucs have a 48-28 overall record against the Tars after winning both meetings last season.
Barry goes on the road from Saturday, Oct. 24 to Tuesday, Oct. 27 for rematches against Palm Beach Atlantic and Florida Tech respectively. The Buccaneers have a 32-6 record when playing Florida Tech in Melbourne, FL.
The Buccaneers are at home for four games, with rematches against Eckerd (Oct. 30), Saint Leo (Oct. 31), Tampa (Nov. 6), and Florida Southern (Nov. 7). Barry has positive home records against Eckerd (26-8), Saint Leo (29-7), and Florida Southern (23-15).
The Bucs close out the season with three straight roads games. Beginning with a rematch against arch-rival Lynn on Tuesday, Nov. 10. They proceed to travel to Winter Park, Fla., and Daytona Beach, Fla., for rematches with Rollins and Embry-Riddle respectively.
NCAA tournament selections will be made on Nov. 15, with the regional scheduled for Nov. 19-22. Winners of the eight regionals will advance to the Elite Eight in Memorial Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., from Dec. 3-5.
