The AVCA First Serve opens the 2026 women’s Division I volleyball season this weekend with four days of doubleheaders. From Aug. 21-24, Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum will host 10 teams, eight of which rank in the preseason top 25. All four 2025 NCAA semifinalists will take the court, including defending national champion Texas A&M and runner-up Kentucky, along with Pittsburgh and Wisconsin.Arizona State, Louisville, Marquette, SMU, Texas and Xavier are also along for the ride. Nebraska, which starts the season at No. 1, will not appear in this year’s event after participating in it the last two seasons.Six teams will play twice across the four-day showcase, while the remaining four play once. There isn’t much room to ease into the season when some of the country’s top teams are seeing this caliber of competition before the first weekend is over. Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.You can watch every match of the 2026 AVCA First Serve on Fubo (Stream Free Now).How can college athletes still play college sport after they've graduated from university?Tifo SportsFriday opens with two rematches from the 2025 NCAA Tournament. First up is No. 8 Texas A&M facing No. 7 Louisville.The Aggies bring back eight players from last year’s championship roster. Leading the way is NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Kyndal Stowers, who finished with 385 kills in her first season in College Station. Louisville returns six regular starters, including Chloe Chicoine. After transferring from Purdue, she led the Cardinals with 413 kills last season and had a whopping 26 against Texas A&M.That matchup is followed by No. 3 Kentucky against No. 6 Wisconsin. Kentucky libero Molly Tuozzo enters her senior season as the reigning SEC Tournament MVP. Grace Lopez will make her official debut for Wisconsin after she missed the 2025 season due to injury. A two-time AVCA honorable mention All-American at Miami, Lopez had four aces in the Badgers’ final exhibition against Butler.On Saturday, Wisconsin meets up with Louisville, before No. 2 Texas begins its season against No. 12 Arizona State. The Longhorns are led by senior Torrey Stafford, a two-time first-team All-American who recorded 516 kills while hitting .360 last year.The Aggies also start Sunday’s action, this time against No. 11 SMU. Then the Wildcats’ second match of the showcase comes against No. 4 Pittsburgh. The Panthers welcome back Olivia Babcock, the two-time defending AVCA National Player of the Year.The “Big East Challenge” closes things out Monday with Pitt going up against Xavier, and then Texas taking on Marquette.AVCA First Serve schedule and TV listingsAll times are Eastern and subject to change. ESPN is also available with an ESPN Unlimited subscription. Fox is also available with a Fox One subscription.Friday, Aug. 21