MOSCOW, Idaho—The Vandal volleyball team is set to open the season this Friday, Aug. 25 at the Beaver State Classic. Idaho will open against host Oregon State. They conclude the tournament with a Saturday doubleheader against Kansas State and Pacific.

The Vandals have spent the past three weeks building up to the opener. The team is looking forward to finally playing against an opponent other than themselves.

"I am so excited to play someone other than my own teammates," junior Alycia Wodke noted. "I am excited to see a different team that will attack us in different ways. Right now we have gotten really used to how our team plays. Playing a different team we will get to see something new."

"We are ready to go out and play," head coach Debbie Buchanan added. "I think today was a really good practice. We were really able to key in on some things as far as the errors we are making and our overall productivity."

One big question mark the Vandals have as the season is set to begin is the role of the libero. The role was vacated by Terra Varney, the team's only graduating senior from 2016. Varney graduated second on Idaho's all-time career dig list after taking over the position from Idaho's career digs leader, Jenna Ellis.

"I think that is going to be the biggest issue as team—if we can pass the ball we are going to be in a good spot," Buchanan explained. "We have four different kids working through that position and competing. Every one of them is in a different spot, doing something a little bit different."

Wodke, Klaree Hobart, Delaney Hopen and Maura Donovan all figure into the libero mix. Wodke and Hobart have experience at the junior college level. Wodke transferred in from the College of Southern Idaho, finishing fifth all-time in digs with 843. Hobart spent time in the position at Blue Mountain CC before transferring to Idaho last season. Hopen, a sophomore, played in 38 sets last year. Donovan redshirted in 2016.

Idaho's match against Oregon State will be streamed live on the Pac-12. Live stats will be available for all three matches. 

About Oregon State
The Beavers finished 12-19 last season, finishing tied for 10th in the Pac-12 in head coach Mark Barnard's inaugural season. This season OSU returns six starters and 10 letterwinners. Senior Mary-Kate Marshall was voted All-Preseason Pac-12. She totaled 1,390 kills in her first three years, ranking fourth in OSU history.  

About Kansas State
The Wildcats went 21-10 last season, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. KSU features seven newcomers, including five freshmen. Kansas State played in an exhibition against No. 9 Creighton on Aug. 18, pushing the Bluejays to five sets. Alyssa Schultejan led the Cats with 18 kills in the loss.

About Pacific
Pacific finished 15-15 in 2016, finishing 9-9 in the West Coast Conference. The Tigers return five starters from last season, including a pair of WCC Honorable Mentions in Katrin Gotterba and Ashlyn Fleming. Gotterba led the Tigers last year with 450 total digs. Fleming recorded 2.41 kills per set and 95 total blocks.

Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho volleyball by following the team on Twitter and Instagram, @IdahoVolleyball.

For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.