LAKELAND, Fla. – First-year head coach Lauren Tekavec '15 of the Florida Southern College volleyball team announced the 2026 schedule for the program Wednesday morning (July 1). The schedule features 11 home contests, 11 away matches and six neutral site matchups including a trip to new NCAA Division I member institution University of West Florida for a pair of matches including one versus the Argonauts and another against in-region foe Spring Hill. The Moccasins will face nine matches against teams ranked in the final 2025 AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II Poll including two versus No. 3 Tampa, two versus No. 6 Barry, a neutral site contest with No. 17 Missouri Western, a pair of matches versus No. 19 Lynn, on the road at No. 21 West Florida and a neutral site meeting with No. 25 UMSL.  
 
"I am excited to compete with this group this season," said coach Tekavec '15. "Our non-conference schedule will give us tons of opportunities to be pressed before our many tough league matchups. We have a lot of returners who are used to playing high-level volleyball and we have a lot of confidence going into the fall."
 
Fourteen of the Moccasin matches will be against 2025 NCAA Tournament participants including region champions Tampa.
 
The Moccasins open the 2026 campaign Aug. 28-29 at the Bahama House Classic hosted by Embry-Riddle. The Mocs will face three unfamiliar opponents. The Moccasins kick off the 2026 season with a first-time opponent Edward Waters at 9 a.m. Aug. 28. The Mocs will return to the court at 4:30 p.m. to face St. Edward's. a team whom the Mocs have not faced since 2011. The final opponent of the weekend is nationally-ranked Missouri Western, who FSC has not seen since 1991 on the volleyball court.
 
Following the season opening tournament, the Moccasins will return to Lakeland to open the home portion of their schedule as they face another first-time opponent in Oklahoma Baptist. The Mocs and Bison will square off at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3 inside Jenkins Field House. FSC will stay close to home for its next two matches as the Mocs will travel to Tampa on Saturday, Sept. 5 to face a pair of neutral site opponents. FSC will battle Francis Marion and nationally-ranked UMSL in back-to-back contests starting at 11 a.m. Both opponents have not seen the Mocs in over 20 years as the last meeting with FMU was back in 2004 and the most recent UMSL contest came in 1997.  
 
Florida Southern closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule Sept. 11-12 in Pensacola, Fla. The Mocs will face recently elevated West Florida on Friday at 5:30 p.m. before taking on Spring Hill on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The meeting with SHC will be the first between the two programs.
 
The Sunshine State Conference slate begins on the road for the Moccasins as they travel to Saint Leo on Friday, Sept. 18 for a 6 p.m. contest with the Lions. The very next day the Moccasins open the home portion of their conference schedule as nationally-ranked Tampa visits Jenkins Field House for a 4 p.m. meeting.  
 
FSC will play a total of 10 home SSC contests including three Friday night meetings, five Saturday afternoon match-ups and a pair of Tuesday night contests. Opponents include Tampa (9/19), Embry-Riddle (9/25), Rollins (9/26), Barry (10/9), Florida Tech (10/10), Lynn (10/16), Nova Southeastern (10/17), Eckerd (10/27), Palm Beach Atlantic (10/31) and Saint Leo (11/10). All home Friday and Tuesday night matches will be held at 7 p.m. while the Saturday afternoon matches will begin at 4 p.m.
 
FSC will play 10 conference road contests in 2026 including four on Friday nights, three on Saturday afternoons, two Tuesday night meetings and one lone Thursday night trip. Opponents include Saint Leo (9/18), Eckerd (9/29), Palm Beach Atlantic (10/1), Tampa (10/13), Rollins (10/23), Embry-Riddle (10/24), Florida Tech (11/6), Barry (11/7), Nova Southeastern (11/13) and Lynn (11/14).   
 
The NCAA South Region Championship is scheduled for Nov. 19-21 while the NCAA Division II National Championship is slated for Dec. 3-5 in Kansas City, Mo.