LSU Shreveport Volleyball Unveils Inaugural 2026 Schedule
SHREVEPORT, La. – LSU Shreveport Volleyball has officially unveiled its inaugural 2026 schedule, marking another historic milestone for the program following its announcement in 2025. Under the leadership of first-year head coach Callie Houlihan and newly hired assistant coach Aubrey Beaumont, the Pilots will take the court for the first time this fall and begin writing the first chapter in program history.
The Pilots will play their home matches inside The Dock and join five other institutions competing in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The inaugural schedule features a challenging blend of nationally recognized programs, tournament competition, and conference play as LSU Shreveport prepares for its first season of competition.
LSUS begins its inaugural campaign with scrimmages against Wiley and Panola College on Aug. 15 in Carthage, Texas, before facing Tyler Junior College on Aug. 18 in Tyler, Texas. The Pilots will then make their tournament debut at the Stars Invitational in Oklahoma City on Aug. 21-22.
The preseason schedule continues with appearances at the Vette City Classic in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on Aug. 28-29 and the Big Easy Blastoff in New Orleans on Sept. 4-5. Along the way, LSU Shreveport will face multiple accomplished programs, including Mobile and Lindsey Wilson, providing an early test for the first-year squad.
"I'm just excited to get started," Houlihan said. "I think the first couple of tournaments, three in preseason, will determine what I think we can do in the conference. Those are big adjustment periods for finalizing that stating lineup. We play teams such as Lindsey Wilson and Mobile and they are going to be some tough competition. But, with the players we have, I am confident we will be able to compete at a high level."
The Pilots' inaugural RRAC schedule begins Sept. 11 when Texas College visits The Dock for LSU Shreveport's first-ever home conference match. The conference slate features home-and-away series against Texas College, University of the Southwest, Louisiana Christian, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, and Our Lady of the Lake.
Houlihan believes the schedule presents valuable opportunities for her team to test itself against elite competition while preparing for conference play.
"Being able to play teams that were at the final site as well as teams that were in the national tournament is essential in being able to play against tough competition later on," Houlihan said. "We have some strong competitors in the Red River such as Texarkana, so I'm really looking forward to playing them."
With an entirely new roster coming together for the first time, Houlihan emphasized the importance of the early-season tournaments and scrimmages in helping the Pilots develop chemistry and establish their identity.
"Those first few games are significant because this is the first time the girls will be playing together," Houlihan said. "So being able to have that comfortability with each other and working out the kinks will be critical."
Among the matchups, Houlihan is most excited about the Pilots' contests against Texas A&M University-Texarkana, Louisiana Christian, and Our Lady of the Lake.
"I think the Texarkana games will be the most exciting conference games we will play," Houlihan said. "We play them back-to-back at home, so having fans at those matches will be really important to us. The Louisiana Christian series because they are not too far away. Our Lady of the Lake is always competitive too, so being able to compete against them at a high level will be crucial."
LSUS will host ten conference matches during its inaugural campaign, highlighted by home contests against Texas College, Louisiana Christian, University of the Southwest, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, and Our Lady of the Lake. The regular-season home schedule concludes Nov. 6 against Our Lady of the Lake.
The 2026 season represents the beginning of a new era for LSU Shreveport Athletics as volleyball joins the department's growing lineup of championship-caliber programs. With a demanding schedule, an experienced coaching staff, and a roster eager to make history, the Pilots will look to establish themselves as a competitive force in the RRAC from day one.