BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – As the road to crowning a champion in Montgomery begins, all 12 member institutions officially began their 2026 campaign with each team playing a total of three matches on the weekend of Aug. 28-Aug. 30.
 
Friday, August 28
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0; Delaware State 3

Jackson State 0; Kansas City 3

Grambling State 1; Presbyterian College 3

Florida A&M 1; Delaware State 3

Southern 0; Jacksonville 3

Alabama A&M 3; Maryland Eastern Shore 0

Bethune-Cookman 0; Hampton 3

Mississippi Valley State 2; South Carolina State 3

Alabama State 0; North Alabama 3

Southern 0; Southern Mississippi 3

Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0; North Carolina Central 3

Florida A&M 1; UMES 3

Mississippi Valley State 0; UMES 3

Texas Southern 0; East Texas A&M 3

Alabama A&M 3; South Carolina State 0

Prairie View A&M 0; Arizona 3

Grambling State 3; West Georgia 2

Bethune-Cookman 0; East Carolina 3

Alcorn State 0; LSU-New Orleans

Jackson State 3; Austin Peay 2

Saturday, Aug. 29
Mississippi Valley State 0; Delaware State 3

Prairie View A&M 0; University of Santa Barbara 3

Alabama A&M 3; North Carolina Central 2

Jackson State 3; UT Martin 1

Texas Southern 0; ULM 3

Alabama State 2; Mercer 3

Florida A&M 3; North Carolina Central 0

Grambling State 1; Northwestern State 3

Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3; South Carolina State 2

Southern 1; Jacksonville State 3

Alcorn State 2; Nicholls 3

Bethune-Cookman 3; Radford 2

Alcorn State 0; Stonehill 3
 
Sunday, August 30
Prairie View A&M 0; Tarleton State 3

Texas Southern 0; Southern Illinois 3

Alabama State 0; Troy 3
 
By The Numbers

• Alabama A&M went undefeated in their opening weekend as the host of the Betty Austin Invitational while hitting .286 as a team and a conference high of 145 kills.
• Senior RS from Jackson State, Hope Briggs led the weekend with 40 kills with double-digit performances (12 vs. Kansas City, 16 vs. Austin Peay, 12 vs. UT Martin)
• Preseason SWAC Setter of the Year from Alabama State, Kamrynn Clay led the weekend with 81 assists while averaging 7.36 assists per set.
• Grambling State’s Junior Libero, Asialin Powell, highlighted the weekend in the digs category with two consecutive matches with 20+ digs while finishing with a league-high of 60.
• Alabama A&M’s Sophomore MB, Cherrish Robinson finished with 12 blocks on the weekend including two matches with five blocks.

 
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.

Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
 
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.