MOSCOW, Idaho - Riding a two-match win streak, Idaho Volleyball will wrap up the non-conference portion of its schedule this week, heading to the Big Easy for the New Orleans Invite hosted by LSU New Orleans.
The Vandals (6-3) enter on a high note after going 2-1 at last weekend's CBU Challenge, bouncing back from a five-set loss to Sacred Heart with a win over North Dakota and a five-set thriller against host Cal Baptist. Koen Makaula and Sarah Sullivan earned all-tournament honors for their work in Riverside. The trip to Louisiana also closes out a season-opening stretch in which UI has yet to play a true home match, going 6-3 entirely at neutral sites.
The event runs as a four-team round-robin, with Idaho, LSUNO, Florida A&M and Cal State Fullerton each meeting once at the Human Performance Center. The Black and Gold open Thursday, Sept. 17 against the host Privateers at 4:30 p.m. PT, face Florida A&M on Friday at 1:30 p.m. PT, and close against Cal State Fullerton on Saturday at 9 a.m. PT.
ABOUT NEW ORLEANS
Idaho opens against a New Orleans squad sitting at 1-8 and riding an eight-match skid since a season-opening sweep of Alcorn State. The Privateers, who compete in the Southland Conference and host the event as the Pelican Invitational, will look to steady themselves in front of their home crowd. Head coach Ashley Preston has led the program since 2021, leading LSUNO to a fifteen-win season in her second year.
ABOUT FLORIDA A&M
Friday brings a matchup with one of the hotter teams in the field. Florida A&M sits at 4-5 under head coach Gokhan Yilmaz and went 2-1 at its own tournament last weekend, capped by a 3-2 win over Hampton, with a midweek stop at Mercer in between. The Rattlers, members of the SWAC, also own a signature 3-2 non-conference win over UConn earlier this month.
ABOUT CAL STATE FULLERTON
The Vandals close against Cal State Fullerton, a Big West program that enters at 4-5. The Titans have already knocked off some quality opponents, handing Eastern Washington its first loss of the season in five sets and sweeping McNeese, though they come in having dropped their last outing to The Citadel at the Playa Bowls Invitational. Fullerton also faces Tulane earlier in the week before joining the round-robin. The Vandals faced a rarity in the 2025 season when they took on CSF twice during the non-conference season, a feat not always seen before Big Sky play gets underway.
UP NEXT
The trip marks the end of a schedule played entirely away from Moscow to open the year. Idaho finally returns home to begin Big Sky play on Thursday, Sept. 24, hosting in-state Idaho State at Memorial Gym. First serve is set for 6 p.m. PT.
FOLLOW THE VANDALS
To stay up to date with Vandal Volleyball, follow the team on Instagram (vandalvolleyball), X (IdahoVolleyball) and visit govandals.com
