High School Volleyball Season 2026: Start Dates, Schedules & State-by-State Guide

When does high school volleyball season start? If you are a parent mapping out your family calendar, a player planning tryouts, or a coach building a training cycle, this is the question that determines your entire fall. The answer depends on your state — and the 2026 calendar has some important changes you need to know about.

Mississippi takes the court first on July 31. Connecticut and Maryland do not start until September 7-8. That is a five-week spread across the country, and if you are traveling for tournaments or managing multiple athletes, knowing your state’s exact dates is critical. Here is the complete state-by-state breakdown for the 2026 high school volleyball season.

2026 High School Volleyball Start Dates by State

MaxPreps published the most comprehensive list of high school volleyball start dates for all 50 states in June 2026. The season begins as early as July 31 (Mississippi) and runs as late as September 8 (Connecticut). Here is the full breakdown:

What Happens Before the Season Starts

The high school volleyball calendar does not begin on the first practice date. Most states have a structured preseason timeline that starts weeks earlier:

• Summer contact period (May-July): Coaches can run open gyms, camps, and weight training but cannot conduct official team practices. This is when athletes build conditioning and skill fundamentals.
• Dead period: Most states enforce a 1-2 week dead period in late June or early July where no coach-athlete contact is allowed. This is the true off-season reset point.
• Tryouts (August): Most states begin tryouts within the first week of August. Ohio starts August 1. Indiana starts official practices August 3 with first contests August 15. OHSAA notes that “tryouts and practice are one and the same — you may begin those on August 1, 2026” [citation:1].
• Preseason scrimmages: Most states allow 2-3 scrimmages before the regular season begins. These are critical for coaches to evaluate lineups and for players to shake off rust.

State-by-State Key Dates for 2026

Here are the critical dates for major volleyball states in 2026:

How the Club Season Connects to the High School Season

Understanding the full volleyball calendar is essential for families navigating both club and high school. The overlap is real, and it creates scheduling challenges that every volleyball family faces.

The annual volleyball calendar:

• July: Club tryouts for next season (new standard shift from October/November). High school summer camps and open gyms.
• August: High school tryouts and season begins. Club preseason development.
• September-October: High school regular season and conference play. Club continues training.
• November: High school state championships. Club competitive season begins (early-season tournaments).
• December-May: Club tournament season and qualifiers. College recruiting events.
• June-July: USAV Junior Nationals. Summer off-season. Club tryouts for next year.

The shift to July club tryouts — now standard across most USAV regions — was designed to eliminate the conflict between high school playoffs and club tryouts. Before 2022, tryouts happened in October/November when high school state championships were still running. The July shift created a true annual reset point and gave coaches a full August-October preseason window before the December tournament grind.

Boys Volleyball Season Dates

Boys high school volleyball operates on a different schedule than girls in most states. Boys volleyball is predominantly a spring sport, with seasons running March through May in most states. However, this is changing.

New York schedules boys volleyball in the fall. Ohio, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Arizona all run boys seasons in the spring. California — the largest boys volleyball program in the U.S. — runs spring seasons from March to May. Hawaii has a deep volleyball culture with a unique spring schedule.

Boys volleyball has grown 51% in six years (from 66,487 to 95,972 participants) and is now the fastest-growing high school team sport nationwide. Twenty-five state associations now conduct state championships for boys [citation:2].

What Parents Need to Know About Key Dates

If you are a volleyball parent, here are the dates that matter most for the 2026 season:

1. Club tryouts (July): If your athlete plays club, tryouts are now in July for most regions. This determines which club team they will play for the next 10 months.
2. High school tryouts (early August): Usually within the first week of August. Your athlete needs to be in volleyball shape by late July. The two-inch vertical drop from taking summer off? It shows up immediately at tryouts.
3. First official contest (mid-August): Most states allow first matches 1-2 weeks after practice begins. This is when the real evaluation starts.
4. Conference play (September-October): This is where season records are built and playoff positioning is determined.
5. State tournaments (October-November): Sectional through state finals. The culmination of the high school season.
6. Signing periods: For recruiting athletes, November (early) and April (late) are the NCAA signing periods. College coaches are evaluating players at 15U and 16U club tournaments — start building your highlight film during sophomore year.

Planning Around Weather and Outdoor Events

The growing trend of outdoor volleyball “under the stars” is adding a new variable to the season calendar. At least 16 states have now hosted outdoor matches, and 2026 events are already scheduled in Colorado (Sept 3), Alabama (Sept 9), and New York (Sept 19). These events require additional planning for weather backups, court setup, and community coordination — and they are becoming a fixture of the early-season schedule.

If your school is considering an outdoor event, plan 3-6 months ahead and always build in a rain date. The best events pair competitive volleyball with community celebration — food trucks, DJ entertainment, youth club demonstrations, and alumni recognition.

FAQ — High School Volleyball Season 2026

When does high school volleyball season start in 2026?

The 2026 high school volleyball season starts as early as July 31 (Mississippi) and as late as September 8 (Connecticut). Most states begin practice in early-to-mid August with first matches 1-2 weeks later. Check your state athletic association’s website for exact dates.

How long is the high school volleyball season?

The high school volleyball season runs approximately 12-14 weeks from August to November. Regular season play spans late August through October, with state championship tournaments concluding by mid-November. Total contests range from 18-25 matches depending on the state.

When are high school volleyball tryouts?

Most states hold tryouts during the first week of August, coinciding with the official start of practice. Some states (Ohio, Georgia) begin as early as August 1. Others (Connecticut, Maryland) do not start until late August or early September. Your athlete should be in volleyball-specific shape by late July.

When is boys high school volleyball season?

Boys high school volleyball is predominantly a spring sport in most states, running March through May. However, some states like New York schedule boys volleyball in the fall. Boys volleyball has grown 51% in six years and is now the fastest-growing high school team sport in the U.S.

How does club volleyball season overlap with high school?

Club volleyball runs year-round: tryouts in July, preseason August-October, competitive season December-May, nationals in June-July. High school runs August-November. The two seasons overlap during August-October, when club athletes train with their club while playing high school. Most states allow dual participation.

Last updated: July 2026. Sources: MaxPreps state-by-state dates, OHSAA, IHSAA, GHSA, UHSAA, CIAC, NFHS participation surveys. VBallStars is not affiliated with any state athletic association.