Top College Volleyball Teams Build Momentum Into Conference Play

Louisiana will open Sun Belt play on Sept. 26–27 at Texas State with an 8–2 record and top-50 profiles in team hitting (.273) and opponents’ hitting (.166), paced by senior opposite Cailin Demps; both matches will stream on ESPN+. No. 13 Texas A&M opened SEC play with a 3-1 win over No. 21 Missouri, using a season-high eight aces and contributions from Kyndal Stowers (16 kills), Logan Lednicky (13) and Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (10 blocks), while Maddie Waak had 43 assists. No. 2 Texas (8-0) enters SEC play after an unbeaten nonconference slate that included seven wins over AVCA-ranked teams and features a balanced attack with three freshman starters. Coach Jerritt Elliott said the Longhorns are focused on correcting last season’s late conference skid and reclaiming the league title. Texas begins an SEC homestand this week against Vanderbilt and Missouri, while Louisiana returns home Oct. 3–4 to host Appalachian State. Collectively, early-season serving, low-error offense and conference performance are shaping postseason positioning for several top programs.