For the second year in a row, California volleyball will participate in ESPN Events' "Showdown at the Net" as one of its ACC-affiliated participants, as announced by the organization Thursday. The showcase, which features 16 matchups between ACC and SEC teams, will take place from Sept. 8-9.
 
The Golden Bears will travel to South Carolina for the first matchup in history between the two teams, which will take place on Day 1 of the two-day event. Day 2 will feature a pair of marquee matchups – Pitt vs. Tennessee and Stanford vs. Texas A&M – at the neutral State Farm Field House in Kissimmee, Florida, with the doubleheader billed as the "Shriners Children's Showdown at the Net."
 
Last year, Cal hosted Vanderbilt in the inaugural season of the "Showdown at the Net" series, defeating the Commodores in a reverse-sweep thriller.
 
2026 "Showdown at the Net" Matchups
All times and networks TBD unless otherwise notated
 
Sept. 8
Oklahoma at Georgia Tech
Auburn at Florida State
Clemson at Ole Miss
NC State at LSU
Notre Dame at Georgia
Mississippi State at Wake Forest
California at South Carolina
 
Sept. 9
Texas at SMU
North Carolina at Kentucky
Missouri at Louisville
Miami at Florida
Alabama at Virginia
Vanderbilt at Boston College
Arkansas at Syracuse
 
Shriners Children's Showcase – Sept. 9 (State Farm Field House – Kissimmee, Florida)
Pitt vs. Tennessee – 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Stanford vs. Texas A&M – 6:30 p.m. PT/9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
 
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