RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - The Great American Conference will crown its 2026 volleyball champions at the Stride Bank Center in Enid, Okla.
The conference was forced to find a new host for this season's volleyball championship after FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Okla., ceased operations. FireLake Arena hosted a pair of GAC volleyball championship events before its closure.
The GAC Volleyball Championship tournament will take place Wednesday, Nov. 11 through Friday, Nov. 13, with the top eight squads in the regular season qualifying for the event.
"Stride Bank Center will provide a quality championship venue for our student-athletes," stated GAC commissioner Will Prewitt. "We've enjoyed our past championship events in Enid and appreciate the support that we've received from the community. It's fantastic that the Stride Bank Center and Visit Enid have stepped forward for our volleyball squads."
The Stride Bank Center opened in 2013 and has a capacity of 3,800 seats while serving as an anchor for downtown Enid and events for western Oklahoma. The arena has hosted professional basketball, regional high school basketball championships, and performers such as Alabama, Alan Jackson, The Beach Boys, Reba McEntire, and Willie Nelson.
“We are honored to be selected to host the Great American Conference Volleyball Championships at Stride Bank Center," said Stride Bank Center general manager Kevin Frusti. "Events of this caliber provide an incredible opportunity to showcase Enid and the strength of our community, while creating a meaningful economic and community impact through the visitors they bring to our hotels, restaurants, businesses, and local attractions. We look forward to welcoming the student-athletes, coaches, families, and fans to Enid and delivering a championship experience that reflects the pride our community has in being a premier host destination.”
All contests from the championships will stream on the GAC Sports Network, powered by Hudl.
2026 GAC Volleyball Championship
November 11-13
Enid, Oklahoma (Stride Bank Center)
Wednesday, November 11
Match #1: #3 vs. #6, 10 a.m.
Match #2: #2 vs. #7, 12:30 p.m.
Match #3: #1 vs. #8, 3:00 p.m.
Match #4: #4 vs. #5, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 12
Match #5: Match #1 winner vs. Match #2 winner, 2:00 p.m.
Match #6: Match #3 winner vs. Match #4 winner, 5:00 p.m.
Friday, November 13
Match #7: Match #5 winner vs. Match #6 winner, 3:00 p.m.