Volleyball Unveils 2026 Schedule
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) volleyball team and first-year head coach Mike Basile have announced the schedule for the upcoming 2026 season. Highlighting the Blue Jays' 27-match regular-season slate are 11 home contests, including two home tri-matches inside the James A. Calhoun Gymnasium on the USJ campus.
The Blue Jays begin the 2026 campaign on the road at in-state foe Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Two days later, the team makes the short trip down Albany Avenue to battle local foe the University of Hartford on Thursday, Sept. 3.
USJ rounds out its opening four-match road trip with a tri-match at Mount Holyoke College on Saturday, Sept. 5. The Blue Jays first face ECSU in a rematch at 1 p.m. before taking on the host Lyons at 3 p.m.
The Blue Jays then make their home debut on Tuesday, Sept. 8, welcoming Suffolk University to the James A. Calhoun Gymnasium before heading back on the road the following day for a non-conference match against Fitchburg State University.
Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play begins on Saturday, Sept. 12, as the Blue Jays head to Standish, Maine, for a tri-match hosted by Saint Joseph's College of Maine. USJ first faces the Monks at 11 a.m. before taking on Husson University in non-conference play at 1 p.m. The Blue Jays return home for their next two matches, first battling Western New England University on Friday, Sept. 18, before returning to GNAC play against Simmons University on Saturday, Sept. 19. Rounding out the month, the Blue Jays travel to conference foe Emmanuel College in Boston for a tri-match on Saturday, Sept. 26. USJ first faces the Saints before taking on non-conference opponent Curry College.
USJ opens October with a road GNAC match against Norwich University in Northfield, Vt., on Thursday, Oct. 1, before returning to "The Jim" for its first home tri-match of the season on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Blue Jays first meet conference opponent Lasell University at 11 a.m. before rounding out the day with a non-conference match against Fitchburg State at 3 p.m. USJ then heads on the road for back-to-back matches, starting with a GNAC match against Elms College in Chicopee, Mass., on Tuesday, Oct. 6, before heading to local foe Trinity College the following day for a non-conference clash.
USJ returns to West Hartford with a matchup against Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday, Oct. 10, before embarking on a three-match road trip. The Blue Jays first head to Danbury for an intrastate matchup against WestConn on Tuesday, Oct. 13, before making the trek to Franklin, Mass., for a GNAC match against Dean College on Thursday, Oct. 15. The team then returns to Connecticut, rounding out the road trip against Mitchell College on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
The Blue Jays return to "The Jim" for their next five matches, starting with a GNAC matchup against Regis College on Saturday, Oct. 24. The team then steps out of conference play to host intrastate foe Connecticut College on Tuesday, Oct. 27, before hosting its final tri-match of the season against GNAC foe New England College and non-conference opponent Framingham State University on Saturday, Oct. 31. USJ rounds out the regular season with a home match against intrastate and conference rival Albertus Magnus College on Tuesday, Nov. 3, before traveling to Rivier University in Nashua, N.H., for its regular-season finale on Saturday, Nov. 7.
The top eight teams in the conference standings will qualify for the 2026 GNAC Women's Volleyball Tournament, which begins with the quarterfinal round on Tuesday, Nov. 10. The top four seeds will host quarterfinal matches. The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, and will be hosted by the two highest remaining seeds. The GNAC Championship is slated for Saturday, Nov. 14, with the highest remaining seed serving as host.
Admission to all 2026 USJ regular-season women's volleyball matches is free of charge. Fans who cannot attend in person can watch every match live and on demand by visiting https://www.usjbluejays.com/watch.
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