2026 BritKare Lady Buff Classic
Date & Time	Friday, August 28th - Saturday, August 29th
Location	Canyon, Texas | WTAMU Fieldhouse "The Box"
Live Statistics	TU | UWP | ASU | OBU
Live Video	FloCollege
Additional Links	Game Notes | Tournament Central

CANYON, Texas – The #19 Lady Buffs open the 2026 campaign this weekend as they host the BritKare Lady Buff Classic with matchups against Tuskegee, Wisconsin-Parkside, Adams State and Oklahoma Baptist at the WTAMU Fieldhouse "The Box" in Canyon.
 
TUSKEGEE
The Golden Tigers are tabbed 11th in the Southern intercollegiate Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll, going 14-13 overall including 7-12 in league action. Rene Crockett is in her first season leading the Tuskegee volleyball program, spending last season as the head coach at Cisco College in Cisco, Texas.
 
Junior libero Jasmine Brantley earned Second Team Preseason All-SIAC honors as the Madison, Alabama native had 301 digs (3.67/set) for the Golden Tigers last season which ranked third in the SIAC. The only other meeting between WT and Tuskegee came on September 7, 2019 in Canyon as the Lady Buffs registered a .554 attack percentage in a sweep at The Box.
 
PARKSIDE
Leigh Barea enters her ninth season leading the Parkside Volleyball program, holding an overall record of 92-128. The Rangers went 19-9 last season with a 9-7 mark in league play as the advanced to the second round of the GLIAC Tournament.
 
First Team All-GLIAC selection Sam Fisch registering a team-best 367 kills (3.50/set) on 813 swings for an attack percentage of .284 to go along with 44 digs and 82 total blocks for 413.0 points in 2025. The senior from Dousman, Wisconsin enters the season with 996 career kills (3.24/set). Friday night marks the first ever meeting between the Lady Buffs and Rangers.
 
ADAMS STATE
The Grizzlies were selected 11th in the RMAC Volleyball preseason poll as they went 15-15 last season including 7-7 in league action. Andre Foster enters his first season at the helm of the Adams State volleyball program, spending last season as the head coach at New Haven.
 
Senior middle blocker Katie Bauer earned Honorable Mention All-RMAC accolades last season as the Greeley, Colorado product led the Grizzlies with 94 total blocks (0.93/set) to go along with 184 kills, 26 assists, 12 aces and 42 digs. The Lady Buffs are 14-3 all-time against Adams State in a series that dates back to 1987, WT picked up a sweep over the Grizzlies last season in Alamosa.
 
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST
The Bison went 22-10 during the 2025 campaign including 11-5 in Great American Conference action, winning the GAC Tournament Title to qualify for the NCAA Central Regional Championship. OBU is led by 19th year head coach Anna Howie who holds a career record of 434-185 in Shawnee. 
 
Oklahoma Baptist was picked second in the GAC Preseason Poll, returning over 60% of their offensive production last season led by GAC Tournament MVP Rylee Unruh. The senior from Lawrence, Kansas had 377 kills (3.40/set) last year to go along with 40 assists, 50 aces, 354 digs and 43 total blocks.
 
WELCOME TO THE BOX
West Texas A&M is fortunate to have one of the best home environments in all of NCAA Volleyball. The WTAMU Fieldhouse is more affectionately known as "The Box," is home to 22 Lone Star Conference Championships, 16 Regional Titles and four NCAA Division II National Championships. 
 
The Box boasts one of the best home winning records in the NCAA on any level of competition. The Lady Buffs are 569-85 at The Box since the 1980 season for an incredible winning percentage of 87.0%.
 
LONE STAR CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
Defending league champion Angelo State claimed 41 of the possible 54 first place votes to sit atop of the poll with 951 points followed by WT (seven first place, 883), Lubbock Christian (three first place, 837), UT Tyler (778) and St. Mary's (one first place, 698) to round out the top five.
 
Texas Woman's sits sixth followed by Oklahoma Christian, Texas A&M-Kingsville, DBU, Midwestern State, St. Edward's, UT Permian Basin, UT Dallas, Western New Mexico, Texas A&M International, Cameron and Eastern New Mexico.
 
THE GAMBLE ERA
Terry Gamble became the sixth head coach in WT history to lead the Lady Buffs to the NCAA Tournament during their inaugural season at the helm iin 2025. The Three-time National Champion and NJCAA Hall of Famer was named the 17th head coach in Lady Buff Volleyball history on February 4, 2025. 
 
Gamble has compiled a career record of 1,125-357 (.759) as he was just the third head coach in NJCAA history to reach 1,000 career wins on October 15, 2024. Gamble came to Canyon following seven seasons at Blinn College. He was inducted into the NJCAA Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007 after winning three NJCAA volleyball championships (2000, 2004, 2006) and three NJCAA Coach of the Year awards.
 
2025 RECAP
2025 saw the Lady Buffs make the program's 32nd appearance in the NCAA Division II Volleyball postseason as they advanced to the South Central Regional Semifinals with an overall record of 23-8.
 
OPENING THE SEASON
2026 marks the 31st straight season that the BritKare Lady Buff Classic will take place on opening weekend, WT is 41-4 when opening the season at the event as they enter the weekend riding a 15-match win streak inside of The Box. 
 
LADY BUFFS IN THE AVCA POLL
The Lady Buffs are ranked 19th in the preseason edition of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Top-25 Poll. It marks the 331st time since 1986 that the Lady Buffs appear in the poll, the sixth most in Division II history. WT has sat atop of the poll 28 different times including twice during the 2023 campaign.