The UIS volleyball team has announced its 2026 schedule, featuring three early-season tournaments, 13 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) matches, and eight matches at TRAC.

UIS opens the season with a free Welcome Week scrimmage against Illinois College on Aug. 22 before beginning regular-season play at the Ferris State Invitational in Big Rapids, Mich. The Prairie Stars will face Emporia State, host Ferris State, MSU Denver, and Purdue Northwest during the opening weekend.

The non-conference slate continues with trips to the Kentucky Wesleyan Invitational in Owensboro, Ky., and the Holiday Inn Express Griffon Volleyball Invitational in St. Joseph, Mo. Over those two tournaments, UIS will face Davis & Elkins, Arkansas-Fort Smith, Kentucky Wesleyan, Central Missouri, Missouri Western, and Arkansas Tech. The three tournament weekends give the Prairie Stars 10 non-conference matches before conference play begins.

GLVC action opens on the road Sept. 18-19 with matches at Indianapolis and Lewis. UIS then returns home for its home opener against McKendree on Sept. 25 and a matchup with Missouri-St. Louis on Sept. 26.

The Prairie Stars will host six additional conference matches throughout the season, including contests against Drury and Southwest Baptist during Homecoming Weekend on Oct. 9-10. The weekend will feature special promotions and recognition of the UIS Athletics Hall of Fame Class.

Following Homecoming, UIS will compete in the Midwest Regional Crossover in Hammond, Ind., on Oct. 16-17. The event includes three matches against regional opponents and serves as one of the key mid-season tests before the final month of conference play.

October also includes a unique series with Quincy, as the Prairie Stars host the Hawks in a non-conference game on Oct. 20 before traveling to Quincy on Oct. 24. UIS travels to Truman State and Upper Iowa before returning home for its final weekend against Missouri S&T and Maryville on Nov. 6-7.

The top teams in the conference will advance to the GLVC Championship Tournament, scheduled for Nov. 12-14.

Head coach Laura Ulrich said the challenging early schedule will help prepare the team for conference competition.

"We're excited about the opportunities this schedule gives our team," said Ulrich. "We'll be on the road quite a bit early in the season and face some really strong competition, but those experiences will help us grow and get ready for conference play. The GLVC is a challenge, and we believe the matches we'll see early on will prepare us for what's ahead. We have a great group that's eager to compete, continue building the UIS volleyball program, and take another step forward this season.

For the full schedule, ticket information, live stats, and streaming links, visit uisprairiestars.com during the season.