OWENSBORO, Ky. – The Kentucky Wesleyan volleyball program and head coach Alejandra Jimenez have released their 2026 season schedule.
The Panthers will begin the campaign with an intersquad scrimmage on August 22nd before battling crosstown rival Brescia in a home exhibition on August 26th.
Wesleyan will then travel to the Thorobred Classic in Frankfort, Kentucky from August 28-29. KWC will take on Shawnee State, Georgetown, Young Harris, and host Kentucky State across those two days.
The Panthers will next return home to host the Kentucky Wesleyan Invitational from September 4-5. Wesleyan will play matches versus Arkansas Fort Smith, Davis & Elkins, McKendree, and Illinois Springfield.
Following that event, KWC will head on the road for their first two G-MAC matches versus Thomas More and Ashland before hosting Cedarville (9/18) and Ohio Dominican (9/19) inside Jones Gym. The Panthers will then hop on the bus again for three consecutive matches against Hillsdale, Northwood, and non-conference Trevecca Nazarene.
Wesleyan follows that stretch with three straight games at home. KWC will battle in-state rival Thomas More on October 2nd, then take on Walsh on October 9th and Ohio Dominican on October 10th as part of Homecoming weekend.
After participating in the Midwest Region Crossover tournament from October 17th-18th, Wesleyan will be on the road for four of their final six matches of the regular season. In those final two home battle of the regular season, the Panthers will host Findlay on October 30th for Alumni Night and Tiffin on October 31st for Senior Night.
KWC will have many of their top contributors from last season returning for the upcoming campaign, including top points scorer Hadley Wolfe along with freshman phenom Emmy Goering. Others returning include Gracie Newton, Kami Parlin, Grace Carter, Ana De Sevilla-Acosta, Juliana Greaney, Layla McAuliffe, and Kiersten Taylor.
"We have a great balance of experienced returners and an incoming class that is ready to compete. Our returning players have built a strong, healthy dynamic culture that has become the foundation of our program, and that's something I'll protect," Jimenez said. "At the same time, our newcomers bring a competitive edge that I believe will raise the standards of our gym. Our focus this season is to maintain the culture we've built while increasing the level of aggressive, fast-paced volleyball we play. We want practices to be highly competitive, where every athlete is pushed to earn their spot and challenge one another."
"The tournaments in our non-conference schedule will expose us to different systems, different styles of play, and high-level competition that will force us to grow quickly," Jimenez continued. "Our goal isn't just to win matches early in the season, it's to become a tougher, more disciplined, and more competitive team by the time G-MAC play begins. We know our conference demands consistency and every match before conference is another opportunity to raise our level."
To view the full season schedule and/or download the schedule poster, click here.
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