ESPN’s 2016 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Regular Season Schedule Boasts Extended Coverage
ESPN will provide exclusive coverage of the 2016 NCAA Division I women’s volleyball regular season, televising more than 30 games and nine conferences on ESPNU and ESPN2. Matchups on SEC Network, Longhorn Network, ACC Network Extra and ESPN3 will also allow viewers to watch over 450 women’s volleyball matches, the most in ESPN’s history.
This year’s schedule boasts 20 ranked teams, including defending champion and No. 1 Nebraska, No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Minnesota. Coverage, which includes regular Wednesday night matchups, will begin Wednesday, Sept. 21, on ESPNU when Oklahoma visits No. 5 Kansas.
SEC Network will televise more than 30 matchups, with additional coverage of 13 matchups on SEC Network +. A complete schedule and details is available here.
With 13 home games televised on Longhorn Network, the Texas women’s volleyball team will face their first home-opponent Lipscomb on Thursday, Sept. 1.
Additionally, the new ACC Network Extra will provide expanded streaming coverage of ACC action, with more than 130 games available via WatchESPN and the ESPN app. A complete schedule is available here.
ESPN Volleyball Commentators
This year’s volleyball coverage will include new play-by-play announcer Courtney Lyle, who previously called games on SEC Network + for the University of Tennessee. Analysts include:
- Kevin Barnett: Member of the 2000 and 2004 Men’s National Team
- Dain Blanton: Gold medalist in beach volleyball at 2000 Olympics
- Laura Bush: Former Auburn head coach and Minnesota associate head coach
- Nell Fortner: Won a National Championship as a student at Texas and a Texas Sports Hall of Famer
- Jenny Hazlewood: Former Mississippi St. Head Coach
- Jennifer Hoffman: All-American at Louisville
- Karch Kiraly: Four-time gold medalist; only player to win gold in both beach and indoor volleyball, Current USA Women’s National Team head coach and 2016 bronze medalist
- Holly McPeak: Bronze medalist in beach volleyball at 2004 Olympics
- Maria Taylor: Three-time All-SEC at Georgia
- Missy Whittemore: Three-time Academic All-American at Florida
2016 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Regular Season Schedule (Subject to change)
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Network |
| Wed, Sept. 21 | 7 p.m. | Oklahoma at No. 5 Kansas | ESPNU |
| 9 p.m. | South Carolina at Missouri | ESPNU | |
| Sun, Sept. 25 | 1 p.m. | Ole Miss at Missouri | ESPNU |
| 3 p.m. | Auburn at No. 16 Texas A&M | ESPNU | |
| 5 p.m. | TCU at Iowa State | ESPNU | |
| Tue, Sept. 27 | 10 p.m. | San Diego at No. 21 Loyola Marymount | ESPNU |
| Wed, Sept. 28 | 7 p.m. | No. 2 Texas at Oklahoma | ESPNU |
| 9 p.m. | Tennessee at South Carolina | ESPNU | |
| Sun, Oct. 2 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 3 Minnesota at No. 20 Purdue | ESPN2 |
| Wed, Oct. 5 | 7 p.m. | TCU at Baylor | ESPNU |
| 9 p.m. | No. 16 Texas A&M at Arkansas | ESPNU | |
| Fri, Oct. 7 | 11 p.m. | No. t-7 Washington at Oregon | ESPNU |
| Sun, Oct. 9 | 1 p.m. | No. 15 Ohio State at Michigan | ESPN2 |
| 3 p.m. | No. 20 Purdue at No. 1 Nebraska | ESPN2 | |
| Wed, Oct 12 | 7 p.m. | Kansas State at No. 5 Kansas | ESPNU |
| 9 p.m. | Mississippi State at Alabama | ESPNU | |
| Sun, Oct. 16 | 2 p.m. | South Carolina at LSU | ESPNU |
| Wed, Oct. 19 | 7 p.m. | Baylor at Iowa State | ESPNU |
| 9 p.m. | Auburn at Ole Miss | ESPNU | |
| Sun, Oct. 23 | 1 p.m. | Syracuse at No. 19 North Carolina | ESPNU |
| 3 p.m. | Tennessee at Mississippi State | ESPNU | |
| 5 p.m. | No. 11 Stanford at No. t-7 USC | ESPNU | |
| Wed, Oct. 26 | 7 p.m. | Kansas State at Iowa State | ESPNU |
| 9 p.m. | Missouri at No. 16 Texas A&M | ESPNU | |
| Fri, Oct 28 | 6 p.m. | No. 17 Florida State at No. 23 Louisville | ESPNU |
| 11 p.m. | No. 6 Hawaii at UC Riverside | ESPNU | |
| Wed, Nov. 2 | 7 p.m. | No. 2 Texas at TCU | ESPNU |
| 9 p.m. | No. 10 Florida at Georgia | ESPNU | |
| Wed, Nov. 9 | 6 p.m. | Auburn at Alabama | ESPNU |
| Thu, Nov. 10 | 10:30 p.m. | No. t-7 USC at No. 11 Stanford | ESPNU |
| Wed, Nov. 16 | 6 p.m. | No. 16 Texas A&M at Tennessee | ESPNU |
| Sun, Nov. 20 | Noon | MEAC Volleyball Championship | ESPNU |
| 4 p.m. | SWAC Volleyball Championship* | ESPN3 | |
| Tue, Nov. 22 | 11 p.m. | No. 13 BYU at No. 21 Loyola Marymount | ESPNU |
*tape delay; will air Sun, Nov. 20 at 9 p.m. on ESPNU
Longhorn Network Schedule (subject to change)
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Thu, Sept. 1 | 1 p.m. | Lipscomb vs. Texas |
| 8 p.m. | UTSA vs. Texas | |
| Fri, Sept. 2 | 11 a.m. | Miami vs. UTSA |
| 1:30 p.m. | Lipscomb vs. Army | |
| 8:30 p.m. | Army vs. Texas | |
| 10:30 p.m. | Miami vs. Lipscomb | |
| Sat, Sept. 3 | 5 p.m. | Miami vs. Texas |
| 7:30 p.m. | UTSA vs. Army | |
| Wed, Sept. 14 | 8 p.m. | Texas A&M vs. Texas |
| Sun, Sept. 18 | 1 p.m. | Wisconsin vs. Texas |
| Sat, Sept. 24 | 8 p.m. | Kansas vs. Texas |
| Sat, Oct. 8 | 8 p.m. | Iowa State vs. Texas |
| Wed, Oct. 26 | 8 p.m. | Oklahoma vs. Texas |
| Wed, Nov. 9 | 8 p.m. | Baylor vs. Texas |
| Wed, Nov. 16 | 8 p.m. | Texas Tech vs. Texas |
| Sat, Nov. 19 | 8 p.m. | Kansas State vs. Texas |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | 2 p.m. | West Virginia vs. Texas |
SEC Network Schedule (subject to change)
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Wed, Sept. 14 | 8 p.m. | Baylor at LSU |
| Wed, Sept. 21 | 8 p.m. | Georgia at Kentucky |
| Fri, Sept. 23 | 7 p.m. | Texas A&M at Alabama |
| Sun, Sept. 25 | 1 p.m. | Florida at Alabama |
| Wed, Sept. 28 | 8 p.m. | Kentucky at Florida |
| Fri, Sept. 30 | 7 p.m. | Missouri at Arkansas |
| Sun, Oct. 2 | noon | Tennessee at Florida |
| 2 p.m. | Missouri at LSU | |
| 4 p.m. | Alabama at Mississippi State | |
| 6 p.m. | Arkansas at Ole Miss | |
| Wed, Oct. 5 | 8 p.m. | LSU at Ole Miss |
| Fri, Oct. 7 | 7 p.m. | Georgia at South Carolina |
| Sun, Oct. 9 | noon | Florida at South Carolina |
| 2 p.m. | Tennessee at Kentucky | |
| 4 p.m. | Texas A&M at Ole Miss | |
| Wed, Oct. 12 | 8 p.m. | Georgia at Auburn |
| Sun, Oct. 16 | 1 p.m. | Mississippi State at Auburn |
| 5 p.m. | Florida at Texas A&M | |
| Wed, Oct. 19 | 8 p.m. | LSU at Missouri |
| Sun, Oct. 23 | noon | Georgia at Florida |
| 2 p.m. | Kentucky at Missouri | |
| Wed, Oct. 26 | 8 p.m. | Mississippi State at Arkansas |
| Fri, Oct. 28 | 7 p.m. | Tennessee at Alabama |
| Sun, Oct. 30 | noon | LSU at Florida |
| 2 p.m. | Georgia at Arkansas | |
| 4 p.m. | Texas A&M at South Carolina | |
| Thu, Nov. 3 | 7 p.m. | Alabama at Texas A&M |
| Sun, Nov. 6 | noon | Missouri at Kentucky |
| 2 p.m. | Arkansas at Alabama | |
| 8 p.m. | Kentucky at Arkansas | |
| Sun, Nov. 13 | 2 p.m. | Wildcard |
| 4 p.m. | Wildcard | |
| 8 p.m. | Ole Miss at Mississippi State | |
| Sun, Nov. 20 | 2 p.m. | Wildcard |
| 4 p.m. | Wildcard | |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | 8 p.m. | Auburn at Florida |
All preseason rankings are per the American Volleyball Coaches Association (August 10)
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