CANTON, Ohio - The Malone University volleyball team has announced their season schedule for 2026 under new head coach, Lauren Allaway. Allaway will direct the Pioneers in their 52nd season after a 6-21 campaign in 2025.
 
Malone will begin the year with a home tournament, the Hall of Fame City Challenge. The newly redesigned Osborne Hall will be put on full display against opponents such as Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (August 28), the University of Charleston (August 28) and Roberts Wesleyan University (August 29). In their first road matches of the season, the Pioneers head to Gannon University where they will face the host Golden Knights (September 4), Clarion University (September 4), Eckerd College (September 5) and Wayne State University (September 5).
 
Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play begins on September 11 and 12 with back-to-back matches versus Lake Erie College and at Ursuline College. Malone makes a return trip to Painesville on September 18 for a second match against Lake Erie before hosting Walsh University on September 19 as a part of 2026 Homecoming and Family Weekend.
 
Non-conference contests bookend the following week with matches against California University of Pennsylvania on September 22, Ursuline on September 25 and Wheeling University on September 26. Three of the next four conference matches all come on the road, with contests at Ashland University on October 2, a home match versus Ohio Dominican University on October 3 and a road trip to Thomas More University on October 9 and Kentucky Wesleyan College on October 10.
 
The annual Midwest Region Crossover will take place in Hammond, Indiana on October 16-17, with matches coming against competition from the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). The road trip continues for the Pioneers at the University of Findlay (October 23) and Tiffin University (October 24).
 
The regular season concludes with four matches out of five inside the friendly confines of Osborne Hall. Ashland visits Canton on October 27, followed by Northwood University on October 30 and Hillsdale College on October 31. The final road game will be a close trip to rival Walsh University on November 3. Last but not least, the team will celebrate its graduating seniors on November 7 when the Pioneers do battle with Cedarville University.