Volleyball weekend preview across the USA

The top two professional women’s volleyball leagues in America are serving up lots to watch for this weekend, plus the top teams in men’s college volleyball are squaring off.

From records being broken to a top 10 clash on the West Coast and everything in between, there’s something for every volleyball fan to enjoy about the upcoming stretch.

Teams are inching closer to conference play in the men’s game as Major League Volleyball and League One Volleyball are in full swing on the women’s side.

For the top matchups to watch, along with impact players all across the court, it’s all being showcased across America this weekend.

LOVB: Hard-hitting Thompson leads Houston against Nebraska

Reigning league Offensive Player of the Week Jordan Thompson has LOVB Houston ready for battle once again following a 52-kill performance from the pins in eight sets.

Two aces and four blocks added to a 58-point performance in two matches last week for her, a season-high across that sort of timeline.

Despite the four-set home loss to LOVB Atlanta last Thursday, Thompson had her most points this season with 30, a .522 hitting clip and her first double-double of 2026.

LOVB Nebraska travels to Fort Bend County Epicenter after a back-and-forth loss in five sets to LOVB Madison.

This team has been able to rely on their middles so far this season, with two players in the top 4 of LOVB for total blocks, with Ana Carolina da Silva (27) and Emily Thater (24) at third and fourth, respectively.

The match can be found on Victory+ on Thursday with the first serve set for 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

MLV: Valkyries, Pulse battle on national TV

The biggest match to watch out for in the MLV this weekend will be a Friday clash in the top half of the league as the Dallas Pulse welcome the Orlando Valkyries to town.

The Valkyries head to Comerica Center as the top serving team in the league, leading the MLV in service aces with 63.

Middle blocker Natalie Foster leads the charge in the serve game for Orlando, posting a league-high 25 aces across 45 sets.

The Pulse attack runs through their top two scorers in Sofia Maldonado Diaz and Mimi Colyer, each averaging over four points per set.

Dallas is fresh off its second-best hitting performance of the season in its sweep of the Grand Rapids Rise on Sunday, posting a .322 clip overall.

It was Colyer and Maldonado Diaz once again leading the scoring with a combined 32 points, plus Kaylee Cox joining the double-digit scoring club with 11 of her own.

First serve is set for 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Friday. Watch the match live on CBS Sports Network.

Men’s Volleyball: UCLA back in the spotlight on Friday

The top-ranked Bruins hit the road for their third-straight ranked clash, heading to the Bren Events Center to take on No. 4 UC Irvine.

Cameron Thorne sent a message to all setters last Friday to set the middle as he notched 13 kills on 16 errorless attempts. He also put up six blocks in the four-set win over No. 2 Long Beach State.

UCLA has been helped by three-time All-American setter Andrew Rowan, who had 41 assists of his own and led the Bruins to a .447 hitting clip.

UC Irvine looks for a shot at the top dogs after splitting a home-and-home series with No. 4 USC last Wednesday and Friday.

Anteater middle blocker Trevor Clark is setting up to be one of the best at his position in the country, hitting .583 in 132 attempts and tying the Big West lead in total blocks with 44.

First serve is set for 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Friday, and although there will be no stream, fans will be able to catch live scoring on UC Irvine’s page.

How to follow all the action

To catch up with men’s volleyball scores, check out the ESPN page for points, times and streaming. ESPN+ and Big Ten Plus are often the top streaming services for match coverage.

Select MLV matches are streamed live on the league’s YouTube page along with various other platforms. Scores and advanced stats, as well as match-by-match streaming information, are on the league website.

The LOVB also has a multi-streaming approach for match-by-match coverage, with its games being broadcast to USA Network, ESPN+ and Victory+. Fans can enjoy even more advanced stats while watching the matches with live stats on the league website.

Bryan Portney is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email bep5295@psu.edu.