MILLIGAN, Tenn. – On Monday, Milligan University's head women's volleyball coach, Doneva Bays, announced her squad's 2026 schedule ahead of her 19^th season at the helm.

Click HERE to view the full schedule.

Milligan Mountain Madness, a tournament in its 19^th season of operation, will yet again take place. For the first time, the tournament will not be played on Milligan's campus inside Steve Lacy Fieldhouse, instead being co-hosted by Visit Kingsport at the Tribe Athletic Complex in Kingsport. A total of 10 teams, including the Buffs, will be in attendance this season. The MU schedule consists of two Thursday evening matchups and a pair of games on Friday. They start against an NAIA newcomer, the Andrew College (Ga.) Fighting Tigers, at 5 p.m. on Aug 20. Immediately after that match's conclusion, the Buffaloes go up against the Indiana University Southeast Grenadiers at 7:30 p.m. On Aug. 21 at noon, Milligan meets the Carolina University (N.C.) Bruins, who will join the Appalachian Athletic Conference in 2027. To close out their tourney, a match against the Ave Maria University (Fla.) Gyrenes gets under way at 7:30 p.m.

Click HERE for the MMM Tournament Central page.

Another tournament awaits for the Buffs, as they will take a two-week hiatus prior to heading down to the Bear Invitational, hosted by AAC foe Truett McConnell University. Milligan will play three games in one day to open the event on Sept. 4, facing the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Ind.) Pomeroys at 8 a.m. Then, MU faces off with an NCAA Division III foe, the Piedmont University (Ga.) Lions, at 2 p.m. Lastly, the Rust College (Miss.) Bearcats will play against Milligan at 4 p.m. to round out the day. On day two of the tournament, which includes eight total teams, all squads will be reseeded 1-8 and bracket play will begin with matches at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. to determine semifinalists. The semifinal round will take place at 12 p.m. and the final is set to be played at 2 p.m.

Click HERE for the format and bracket for the Bear Invitational.

Just under a week later, AAC play begins. The Buffaloes will host their first two conference matches of the season against the Union Commonwealth University Bulldogs (Sept. 11, 6:30 p.m.) and the Johnson University Royals (Sept. 12, 11 a.m.). Then, a three-match road spell awaits them, with the Bryan College Lions (Sept. 17, 6:30 p.m., Dayton, Tenn.), Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs (Sept. 19, 11 a.m., Athens, Tenn.) and Bluefield University Rams (Sept. 22, 6:30 p.m., Bluefield, Va.) welcoming the Buffs. Three more matches take place in September for Milligan, with the first two happening inside Steve Lacy Fieldhouse. The Brenau University Golden Tigers (Sept. 25, 6:30 p.m.) and Reinhardt University Eagles (Sept. 26, 11 a.m.) head to east Tennessee, and the month concludes with a MU road trip to Pikeville, Ky. against University of Pikeville Bears on Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m.

A total of 11 matches will be played by Milligan in October, with a trip to the Spartanburg Methodist College Pioneers in Spartanburg, S.C. kicking them off on Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. The next day, the Buffaloes head east to face off with the Columbia International University Rams at 11 a.m. Thyre matches in a row will come at home at that point for MU, as Montreat College's Cavaliers (Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m.), the Truett McConnell University Bears (Oct. 10, 11 a.m.) and Bluefield (Oct. 13, 6:30 p.m.) arrive at Lacy. A game away from home against the Columbia College Koalas will occur on Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. in South Carolina, before Milligan returns to the comfort of home against Pikeville on Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m. Their final pair of bouts as the visiting squad will take place on Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Johnson in Knoxville, Tenn., as well as Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. against Union Commonwealth in Barbourville, Ky. A week later, the Buffs host Tennessee Wesleyan (Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m.) and Bryan (Oct. 30, 6:30 p.m.) to close out their regular season.

"I am super excited for this season and this team," remarked Bays. "We have added a lot of depth to our roster with our newcomers and we feel that they will blend seamlessly with our strong returning roster. Our schedule is well balanced with competitive teams that will push us to be better. This group of ladies are ready to go to work and continue the successful legacy of Milligan volleyball."

The AAC Tournament will take place from Nov. 12-Nov. 14 at MeadowView Marriott Convention Center & Conference Resort. The top 10 conference programs earn a spot in the tourney, with the play-in games for seeds 7-10 set for Thursday, Nov. 12, Quarterfinals set for Friday, Nov. 13 and the Semifinal and Championship rounds set for Saturday, Nov. 14.

The NAIA Opening Round portion of the Women's Volleyball National Championship will take place at campus sites on Nov. 21. After the conclusion of the Opening Round, a total of 24 squads will earn a spot at the NAIA National Championship final site in Sioux City, Iowa at the Tyson Events Center.