Washington State women’s volleyball is set to kick off its 2026 season at home, and the first weekend in Pullman comes packed with a full three-match slate.
The Cougars open Friday, Aug. 28 against Omaha at 6 p.m. inside Bohler Gym as part of the 2026 Cougar Invitational. From there, WSU will keep the invitational rolling with Montana on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 5 p.m. and Central Michigan on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 11 a.m. Streaming for the event will be available on the Pac-12 YouTube channel.
The early schedule gives Washington State a quick look at three programs it knows at different levels. The Cougars have faced Omaha and Central Michigan just once apiece and won both meetings, going 1-0 all time against each.
Montana is the more familiar opponent by far. WSU leads that series 16-15 through 31 matchups, has taken the last four, and last beat the Grizzlies 3-0 in Missoula in 2014.
Montana’s last win over the Cougars came in 1990, also in the form of a 3-0 sweep.
Washington State enters the new season off a 2025 campaign that ended 17-11 overall and 11-7 in conference play during its final year as an affiliate member of the WCC. The roster looks different, but there’s still a solid core returning. Six players are back from last season: Eliana Ti’a, Livia Ward, Lauren Johnson, Maddy Joswick, Mary Healy and Kate Hayhurst.
Ti’a is one of three Cougars named to the 2026 Pac-12 Preseason Impact List, along with transfers Kryssa Moerman, a middle blocker, and Kambree Rodriguez, a libero. Washington State also added a sizable group of newcomers for 2026: transfers Elma Bajraktarević, Madyn Cervellera, Julia Dickeson, Chloe Heimlicher, Audrey Hollis, Emerson Matthews, Ella Smith and Naomi White, plus true freshman Whitney Dewicki.
Korey Schroeder is heading into his third season as head coach, and he’ll do it with a staff shakeup as well. Jeff Ross joins the program as associate head coach, while Keith Saito comes in as assistant coach.
This fall also brings Washington State into the renewed Pac-12 Conference, where it will partner with Oregon State and welcome Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State.
In Other News...
Coug Athletics Is Building Early Momentum On And Off The Field
With the academic year now underway, Washington State University Athletics is trying to turn a busy opening stretch into something bigger than a fast start on the field. Football camp is in motion, soccer and volleyball have already produced early results, and across the department there is a clear effort to frame the moment as one where athletic performance, classroom work and campus visibility all feed into each other.
The update from the department also pointed to steady progress away from competition, from academic achievements to fundraising milestones and community engagement efforts that have kept the program connected beyond game days. For fans and donors, the message was simple enough: there are still ways to help fuel the momentum, and the Cougars are leaning into the idea that this early-season energy can carry well beyond September. [Read more 🡒]
Cougs Get One More Chance To Build Momentum Before September Grind
Washington States women get one more home chance to keep things moving in the right direction before September starts to crowd the calendar. The Cougars host UC Irvine at Lower Soccer Field in Pullman, a useful early-season test as Chris Citowicki settles into his first stretch as head coach and a roster with several new faces begins to take shape. Between the additions, the fresh captaincy structure and a few encouraging individual performances, there is still a lot of sorting out to do, but the broader picture has started to come into focus.
UC Irvine brings a familiar sort of measuring-stick matchup for a program trying to build momentum rather than chase a finished product in August. Washington State has already shown it can handle some of the early-season pressure, and another solid showing would matter heading into a September slate that quickly gets more demanding. The real question is whether the Cougars can keep stacking those small signs of progress before the schedule starts asking for more. [Read more 🡒]