HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University Volleyball team will compete in two exhibition matches to start the 2026 season, beginning with Xavier (La.) Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the University Center.
 
Led by second-year SLU Head Coach Lee McBride, the Lions will embark on the 2026 season after posting a 20-9 overall record with a 12-4 Southland Conference mark in 2025. Southeastern finished with the third-best record in the SLC last season.
 
In 2026, SLU returns 11 student-athletes from last season, including the Southland Conference Player of the Year and AVCA All-America Honorable Mention Kyra McKelvey. The second-ever SLU Volleyball All-American will look to build on a season which featured 368 kills and the third-highest hitting percentage in the SLC (.340). The First Team All-Louisiana honoree ranked fourth in the Southland in kills per set (3.64), while her points per set (3.94) placed her fifth among all SLC student-athletes. Keira Beverly, a 2024 Southland All-Tournament Team member, will also return to the court for the Lions after only playing two matches in 2025.
 
In Thursday's contest against Xavier, fans are welcome to join SLU for its exhibition Home Opener. Southeastern encourages its fans to wear green and gold to support the Lions in their first fall action in 2026.
 
After hosting the Gold Nuggets Thursday, SLU will end exhibition play with a home contest against Tulane, Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The matchup against the Green Wave will feature Youth Sports Night / Camp Reunion. SLU is inviting local youth sports teams to the match against Tulane. The teams in attendance at Wednesday's match will be spotlighted.
 
Following exhibition play, Southeastern will begin the regular season at the Ole Miss Invitational, starting Aug. 28, in Oxford, Miss.
 
DIGGIN' IT CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the Southeastern volleyball program are encouraged to join the Diggin' It Club. Lion volleyball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Diggin' It Club and S Club (volleyball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern volleyball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lions Volleyball, follow @LionUpVB on X and Instagram or like /SLUathletics on Facebook.