Men's Volleyball Announces Fall Competition Schedule
10/13/2026 3:00:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
MALIBU, Calif. — Pepperdine men's volleyball head coach Jonathan Winder has announced the Waves' 2026 fall competition schedule, featuring four dates in October and November as the program prepares for the upcoming 2027 season.
The fall slate features matchups against several familiar opponents, including Big West programs UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, Long Beach State and CSUN, along with Pacific and UC Merced.
"Our group has been working hard in the weight room and building up the volleyball after a busy summer," said head coach Jonathan Winder. "So we are excited to be able to start training more and really work to get organized as a group. Ultimately we need to learn the skills and learn the values that are needed for us to accomplish what this team intends this season. I know the guys are fired up about the opportunity to invest whatever it takes to become their best."
Pepperdine opens its fall schedule this Saturday, Oct. 17, with a tournament in Fresno, Calif., taking on UC Merced at 9 a.m., Pacific at noon and UC Irvine at 3 p.m.
The Waves will then travel to UC Santa Barbara for a single contest on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 10 a.m.
Pepperdine returns to Malibu for their lone home competition of the fall against UC San Diego on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. inside Firestone Fieldhouse. The home matchup on Halloween will be free and open to the public.
The Waves will conclude their fall schedule Nov. 7 at Long Beach City College, where they will face Long Beach State and CSUN, with competition beginning at 9 a.m.
"We get to play some of the best teams in the country both here in Malibu and around the state," noted Winder, who enters his fifth campaign at the helm of the Waves. "It'll be great to compete and travel as a team as well over this next month."
Pepperdine Fall Schedule
Oct. 17 – Fresno, Calif.
9 a.m. – vs. UC Merced
Noon – vs. Pacific
3 p.m. – vs. UC Irvine
Oct. 24 – Santa Barbara, Calif.
10 a.m. – at UC Santa Barbara
Oct. 31 – Malibu, Calif. (Firestone Fieldhouse)
1 p.m. – vs. UC San Diego (Free and open to the public)
Nov. 7 – Long Beach City College
9 a.m. – vs. Long Beach State and CSUN
The Waves are coming off a 2026 campaign which saw a berth to the NCAA Quarterfinals after capturing a share of the MPSF Regular Season Championship behind a 13-1 record in the conference. Pepperdine finished 24-7 overall to collect its second-straight 20-win campaign for the first time since 2002-03.
The Waves return four All-MPSF honorees from this past season, including AVCA Player of the Year finalist and First Team All-American Cole Hartke, MPSF Freshman of the Year Jose Gomez, and Second Team All-American setter Andrej Polomac. Noe Matthey also earned All-MPSF Freshman Team honors in his debut collegiate campaign.
Pepperdine welcomes four newcomers to the roster in addition to 16 returners in 2026-27. Freshmen Vuk Kulpinac, Tobias Prichystal and JP Wardy join the Waves as part of the Class of 2030 while transfer Killian Donovan enters his junior year after playing two seasons at the University of Guelph in Canada.
The 2027 season will usher in a new era for Pepperdine volleyball as the Waves move into The Mountain at Mullin Park, its new state-of-the-art, 3,600-seat arena. Set to officially open in December 2026, The Mountain will provide an enhanced gameday experience for student-athletes and fans alike while marking an exciting new chapter in the program's storied history. Pepperdine's full 2027 schedule will be announced at a later date.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine men's volleyball boasts one of the richest histories in collegiate volleyball, with five NCAA National Championships. Four of those championships came under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy who totaled 612 victories in 34 seasons at the helm. With 20 NCAA Appearances and 69 All-Americans, the program has consistently been a destination for top talent across the country. Under current head coach Jonathan Winder, the Waves reached the NCAA Final Four in 2025 and NCAA Quarterfinals in 2026.
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