East Tennessee State University volleyball announced its 2026 campaign on May 14, detailing the upcoming season’s schedule and roster changes.
The team will compete against 20 opponents from nine conferences, with a total of 16 road matches and 13 home games at Brooks Gym. The regular season includes exhibition matches against Appalachian State and Gardner-Webb in August, as well as participation in several tournaments such as the Buccaneer Classic, VCU Tournament, Wake Forest Tournament, and WKU Tournament. The Southern Conference (SoCon) schedule begins in late September with matches against Samford.
The Bucs return 11 players from their 2025 SoCon Regular Season Championship team after graduating three seniors. They add a transfer from Virginia Tech along with five incoming freshmen. An AVCA All-American Honorable Mention returns to the roster after being named the 2025 SoCon Player of the Year for her performance in kills, aces, and points. “Bays was tabbed the 2025 SoCon Player of the Year after ranking second in the SoCon in kills (443 at 3.92 per set), aces (45 at .40 per set) and points (506.5 at 4.48 per set) and leading the team in kills and points throughout the 2025 schedule,” according to ETSU.
Another key returnee is an NSCA Strength & Conditioning All-American Athlete of the Year who led last year’s offense to strong hitting percentages across multiple matches. Both SoCon All-Freshman Team selections are also back for another season; one setter recorded double-digit assists in nearly every match while an outside hitter posted high hitting percentages during conference play.
Head coach Lindsey Devine returns for another year following her fifth selection as SoCon Coach of the Year during a record-setting season that included program-best winning streaks and individual honors for several players. “Head coach was selected as the SoCon Coach of the Year for the fifth time as leader of Bucs following a record-setting and renowned season for program,” said ETSU.
Looking ahead, ETSU aims to build on its recent success which included setting multiple program records such as longest winning streak (16 matches), best start to conference play (13-0), fewest losses since 2019, and maintaining one of NCAA’s top defensive records by opponent hitting percentage.
