Volleyball Powers Set To Play In Shriners Children’s Showdown at the Net
Orlando, Fla. (Aug. 25, 2026) – The 2026 NCAA volleyball season has begun and four top 25 squads – including defending NCAA Champion Texas A&M – will be facing off in Florida on Wednesday, September 9 as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.
In the first AVCA top 25 poll of the season, No. 4 Pittsburgh led a highly-ranked group of the four teams that will compete at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando. Rounding out the group are No. 5 Stanford, No. 8 Texas A&M and No. 22 Tennessee.
All four participants are coming off NCAA Tournament appearances, led by the defending national champion, Texas A&M. Stanford is a nine-time NCAA champion, while Pitt has appeared in five straight national semifinal matches and the Volunteers boast five consecutive NCAA bids.
In the matchups, Pitt and Tennessee will face off in the first contest, slated for 6:30 pm ET and telecast on ESPN2. That match will be immediately followed by Stanford playing A&M, also on ESPN2.
Stanford and the Aggies will meet for the seventh time in history, with the Cardinal holding a 5-1 series advantage. The Panthers will take on the Volunteers for the 20th time, with Pitt managing a slight 10-9 series edge. In the all-time series records between all four teams, Stanford leads the way with a 12-2 (.857) record versus the other three opponents.
Tickets for the event are on sale now through the ESPN Wide World of Sports box office or via Ticketmaster, as well as links on the Showdown at the Net official website. Tickets purchased are for both matches, with prices starting at $40 to see four elite volleyball programs.
All four matches will air nationally on ESPN2 – part of a slate of over 2,400 college volleyball matches available across ESPN networks.
The full slate for the 2026 ACC/SEC Challenge is below, with the remaining matches taking place at campus sites.
2026 ACC/SEC Challenge Schedule
| Date | Matchup |
| Tuesday, Sept 8 | Oklahoma at Georgia Tech |
| Auburn at Florida State | |
| Clemson at Ole Miss | |
| NC State at LSU | |
| Notre Dame at Georgia | |
| Mississippi State at Wake Forest | |
| California at South Carolina | |
| Wednesday, Sept 9 | Pittsburgh vs. Tennessee |
| Stanford vs. Texas A&M | |
| Texas at SMU | |
| North Carolina at Kentucky | |
| Missouri at Louisville | |
| Miami at Florida | |
| Alabama at Virginia | |
| Vanderbilt at Boston College |
About Shriners Children’s
Shriners Children’s is a leader in providing care for orthopedic conditions from routine injuries to complex conditions including scoliosis and other spine disorders, sports injuries and spinal cord injury rehabilitation; burn injuries; and cleft lip and palate. We also offer specialized services including orthotics and prosthetics and motion analysis. We strive to provide the care and support our patients need to reach their goals and discover their full potential. In addition, our healthcare system conducts research to improve our patients’ quality of life and offers outstanding educational programs for medical professionals. All care and services are provided regardless of the families’ ability to pay or insurance status. Shriners Children’s is a nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. For more information, including the full range of care disciplines, please visit shrinerschildrens.org.
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