CLEVELAND, Ga. – Truett McConnell women's volleyball continues its 2026 season with the Bear Invitational on Friday, Sept. 4 through Saturday, Sept. 5.
 
Day one for the Lady Bears starts with an 8 a.m. matchup with Montreat at the Harris Athletic Complex. The other two matches on Truett's schedule include a noon start time vs. Rust College and a 6 p.m. slot to end the day vs. Brewton-Parker.
 
It will be the second consecutive year that TMU has hosted the invitational, as the team did so in 2025. Friday will feature pool play with two groups of four teams across the HAC and the Student Wellness Center. Saturday brings an eight team bracket with four quarterfinals matches, two semifinals and a championship match scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
The Cavaliers started their 2026 season this past Tuesday with a tri-match at Toccoa Falls, losing to the host team 3-1 before picking up a 3-0 win against Trinity College of Jacksonville. The win was the program's first since November of 2024.
 
Rust is 0-7 to begin the season, most recently being swept in a tournament last weekend to John Brown (3-0), UHSP (3-0), York (3-1) and Brescia (3-0). The program has not won a match since the 2023 season as the Bearcats carry a 52-match losing streak heading into Friday.
 
The Barons are 4-1 on the years with their most recent win coming on Tuesday against Savannah State in five sets. Brewton-Parker and Truett McConnell have played once this season, the 3-2 score in favor of the Barons.