Milwaukee, Wisconsin — The NCAA Division 1 volleyball championship officially launched the 2026 season with the traditional AVCA First Serve tournament, held August 21-24 in Milwaukee. For the fourth consecutive year, eight of the nation's elite programs were invited to open the season one week before the official start at Fiserv Forum, home of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks.
Participating teams included Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, defending champion Texas A&M, Arizona State, Kentucky, Texas, Louisville, SMU, host Marquette, and Xavier. Nebraska did not participate this year due to tournament regulations that prevent any team from competing more than twice in four years.
Marquette's Julia Stanev, an Italian-Bulgarian middle blocker, was in the starting lineup for “The Golden Eagles”. The Senior starter was instrumental in the thrilling five-set battle against #2 Texas, ultimately falling 3-2. Despite the loss, Marquette proved it will be a factor this season and a serious contender for the NCAA tournament in December.
Stanev's First Serve appearance marked the beginning of her second year with Marquette after transferring from Eastern Illinois University in May 2025. Her athletic pedigree runs deep: her father, Ivan Stanev, is a former rower who represented Bulgaria at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, while her mother, Dimitrina, was a former track and field athlete competing in high jump and 100-meter sprinting.
Marquette competes in the Big East Conference, which traditionally sends at least two teams to the NCAA Finals. With Villanova, Xavier, and DePaul all elevating their games, the conference race promises to be exceptionally competitive.
Other tournament highlights included Pittsburgh emerging 2-0 with dominant wins over #3 Kentucky and Xavier, Arizona State shocking #2 Texas 3-1, and SMU sweeping Texas A&M 3-0. With the regular season officially beginning August 28, one thing is clear: the level of competition has risen, and with Bulgarian players like Stanev making their mark on the college stage, this season is must-watch volleyball.
