FIU recently released its 2026 schedule, which will feature one home tournament and eight conference home games. The Panthers’ inaugural schedule under new head coach Flavia Siqueira will include ten non-conference games and three tournaments in Florida to lead into the Conference USA slate.
we’re back in ONE MONTH 🥳
— FIU Volleyball (@FIUVolleyball) July 28, 2026
Check out the full schedule on https://t.co/lakA3XywyI 📆 pic.twitter.com/sEq00rZhXm
FAU MTE
The Flavia Siqueira era is set to begin on August 28th with an away MTE in Boca Raton, hosted by Florida Atlantic. The first game is slated to be against a former Conference USA foe, FAU. The two programs have not met on the court since 2024, which resulted in a 0-3 loss to the home team, the Owls. This season, the Panthers will look to get back in the win column, a feat last achieved in 2022.
Next, on the 29th, the Panthers will play a doubleheader; the first opponent will be Stetson from the ASUN. Stetson is coming off a down year filled with injuries to key players. The Panthers have not lost to the Hatters since 2018. A streak that the Panthers will look to build upon this season.
Rounding out the doubleheader, and the FAU MTE, will be a game against Southern. This will be the first time these two universities have faced each other in volleyball. Last season, the Jags went 16-17, finishing as runner-up in the SWAC Championship as the 7-seed.
UNF Invitational Presented by Holiday Inn Express and Suites.
The Panthers will then head up to Jacksonville to participate in the UNF Invitational Presented by Holiday Inn Express and Suites. The Panthers will play the hosts, UNF Ospreys, to open the Invitational. Last year, UNF finished with a record of 14-17; they then hit the transfer portal and regeared for this upcoming season. The Ospreys lead the all-time series, 3-2, with the last FIU win dating back to 2019.
After playing UNF, the Panthers will face the Tulane Green Wave. For the Green Wave, last season was one to write off, as they suffered from injuries and saw themselves on the wrong side of 5-set matches.
To round out the UNF Invitational, the Panthers will play against the only P4 school on this year’s schedule, the Duke Blue Devils. This will be the third game the Panthers have ever played against Duke, and the first meeting outside of Durham. The series is currently 1-1, with FIU’s win in 2025; the Panthers will look to continue the streak.
FA&M Tournament
After returning from the UNF Invitational, the Panthers will travel up north again, this time to FAMU to partake in the Florida A&M tournament. The Panthers are set to face both FAMU and Florida State. Games will take place at Tully Gymnasium.
Last season, the Florida A&M Rattlers went 14-17 and dominantly won the SWAC tournament. They dropped only 3 sets combined. Their season came to an end against the Texas Longhorns in Austin (0-3). The series is currently 18-4 in the Panthers’ favor, but with the Rattlers’ recent success, it would not surprise me if they steal an early set.
Similar to FIU, Florida State is under new leadership, as they hired Lindsay Allman to lead the way for the Noles. After the legendary coach Chris Poole retired. FSU does hold the 3-0 series lead over the Panthers, but, surprisingly, they haven’t played each other since 2012. FSU is coming off a year that was marred by unfortunate injuries. During the offseason, they have reloaded and are on track to be competitive in the ACC.
FIU Invitational
To round out the nonconference slate, the Panthers will host the following teams in a round-robin-style invitational: Jacksonville, Central Michigan, and Alabama A&M. All four programs are currently at different stages of D1 success. The Chips are looking to build on their lackluster 2025 matches, while Jackson and Alabama A&M aim to continue their successes from last year.
Overall, a challenging nonconference slate that will help the Panthers find their identity and identify their areas for improvement before the conference matches.
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