Grand Forks, N.D.-- The 2016 Big Sky Tournament gets underway at the University of North Dakota on Thursday. For the second consecutive season the Vandals will matchup with North Dakota in the first round of play. 

Last Time
•    Idaho clinched the eighth and final seed in the Big Sky Tournament
•     The Vandals swept Montana and defeated Montana State, 3-2
•     Sarah Sharp led Idaho with 4.12 kills/set
•     Torrin Crawford led the team with a .577 hitting percentage (17-2-26)

On Tap
•    Idaho will face No. 1 seeded & tournament host North Dakota
•    UND owns the season series lead, 2-0, and the all-time series lead, 6-1. Idaho defeated UND at the Big Sky Tournament last season
•    Each team totaled 108 kills in the two previous meetings this year
•    Sarah Sharp has a total of 32 kills against UND this season, while Kaela Straw has a team-best .371 attack percentage

Vandal Facts
•    2016 marks Idaho's 12th consecutive conference postseason tournament. The Vandals won Big Sky championships in their final four seasons in the Big Sky, 1992-95, before returning to the conference in 2014.
•    Idaho has finished .500 or better in conference play in 13 of the last 14 seasons, going a combined 137-91 in WAC/Big West/ Big Sky matches since 2003
•    Idaho's .301 attack percentage against Montana ranks 2nd best in the Big Sky in five set matches
•    Idaho's 74 kills and 71 assists at SUU rank fifth most in the Big Sky this season
•    The Vandals recorded a season-high 97 digs against NAU
•    Idaho ranks seventh in the conference with a .200 hitting percentage
•    The Vandals are ninth in the Big Sky with 1.87 blocks/set
•    With 11 wins this season, Coach Buchanan improves her all-time wins to 255 (79 more than Hall of Fame coach Tom Hilbert)
•    Idaho was picked to finish sixth in the conference by the Big Sky coaches
•    Head coach Debbie Buchanan is in her 17th season. She is the longest tenured coach at Idaho, taking over the program in 2000.
•    Idaho returns seven letterwinners from the 2015 season, including Terra Varney the team's lone senior.
•    Idaho boasts a young roster in 2016 with 12 underclassmen (seven freshmen, five sophomores)