WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – In partnership with Polk County Public Schools and Visit Central Florida Sports for the fifth consecutive year, the 2026 Florida High School Girls Volleyball State Championships are headed to Winter Haven on the campus of Polk State College. Competing at the Winter Haven Health Center in a final four team format, semifinal matches will take place in the days preceding a classification’s championship match.
There are several story lines to follow at this year’s event, but most notably will be the inaugural Open Division Championship bracket. Newly created and beginning with this 2026-27 school year, the sport of Girls Volleyball will crown the first ever Open Division Champion in Florida high school history this week at Polk State College.
After competing in a grueling pool play format over the past two weeks to open the tournament, four teams with a championship pedigree are seeking to be crowned the first ever Open Division Champion. This first Open Division Semifinal includes two state champions from 2025 in Calvary Christian (Clearwater) – Class 3A, and Winter Park – Class 7A. The Warriors will enter as the second overall seed, while the Wildcats come in as the fourth seed. Both programs advanced after going 2-1 in their respective pool play matchups. The second Open Division Semifinal pits perennial powers Plant (Tampa) and Orangewood Christian (Maitland). Entering as the third seed, the Panthers went 2-1 throughout pool play and will face the Rams who are competing as the top overall seed in the event and are the only team to go undefeated in the pool play stage. The winners of each semifinal matchup will face each other in the final match of the week to crown Florida’s first ever winner of an Open Division Championship.
Additional headlines this week include the return of Branford in the Rural Class, as well as Boca Raton Christian in Class 1A returning to the State Championship Event to defend their 2025 title. Both the Buccaneers of Branford and Blazers of Boca Raton Christian will be seeking their school’s second ever championships. After finishing runners-up three consecutive years from 2022-24, the Blazers are hoping to start a new streak of championship titles at this year’s event. Both classifications will get underway in Monday semifinal matches. All remaining classifications throughout the week will offer a new state champion in 2026. Recent perennial powers Venice, Bishop Moore (Orlando), and Seacrest Country Day (Naples) will also highlight this year’s qualifiers, as each will seek continued success in adding another championship to their already storied histories.
Tickets for the event are currently on sale and being sold by day through GoFan for an advanced purchase rate of $14.00, and a day of price of $17.00. The cost of parking is already included in each ticket of admission, and no onsite sales will take place. For additional streaming information, tournament brackets and facility information, please see the information below or visit the girls’ volleyball sport page.
2026 Florida High School State Championships – Winter Haven Health Center
Championship Match Schedule Only, please check the brackets page for the complete Event schedule.
Wednesday, November 4
- Class 1A State Championship, 10 a.m.
- Defending champion: Boca Raton Christian
- Class Rural State Championship, 1 p.m.
- Defending champion: Branford
- Class 2A State Championships, 4 p.m.
- Defending champion: Tampa Prep
- Class 3A State Championships, 7 p.m.
- Defending champion: Calvary Christian (Clearwater)
Saturday, November 7
- Class 4A State Championship, 10 a.m.
- Defending champion: North Broward Prep (Coconut Creek)
- Class 5A State Championship, 1 p.m.
- Defending champion: Chiles (Tallahassee)
- Class 6A State Championship, 4 p.m.
- Defending champion: Oviedo
- Open Division Championship, 7 p.m.
Know Before You Go:
Where: Polk State College – Winter Haven Health Center (Winter Haven)
When: Monday-Saturday, November 2nd – 7th
Host: Polk County Public Schools & Visit Central Florida
Tournament Brackets & Event Schedule: 2026 Tournament
Admission: $14.00 per day with advance purchase and $17.00 day of (via GoFan)
Parking: No onsite sales, $3.00 fee included in the cost of admission, with all proceeds retained by host facility
Lodging & Event Information: click here (provided by Host organization)
Official Merchandise: Northwest Designs
Live Webcast: NFHS Network
