NEW ORLEANS, La. - Flipping the script from seasons prior, Idaho Volleyball took down Florida A&M in a five-set thriller to earn the eighth win of the non-conference slate. Last season, the Vandals earned their first five-set victory since 2021 and had won just five dating back to the 2020-21 spring season. To start 2026, they've won four of those and are off to one of the best starts in program history.
The Black and Gold set the tone immediately in the opener, bolting to a 4-0 lead behind back-to-back Sophie Danielson kills and a Kailee Wakatake ace, and never letting the Rattlers back in it. Idaho hit .429 in the set and cruised to an eleven-point win, one of the top single-set performances in recent memory.
Florida A&M punched back in the second. After Idaho jumped ahead 5-1, the Rattlers reeled off a strong serving run to flip the set and, despite a late Vandal push, held on for a 25-23 win to even the match.
The third belonged to Kiana Greer. With the set tight early, Idaho pulled away behind the sophomore's swing followed by her serve, as she closed the frame with a run of four aces in six points to blow it open. The Vandals ended the frame on a 7-0 run to take it 25-16 and reclaim the lead.
Florida A&M returned the favor in the fourth, controlling the frame from the front and pulling away late to force a decider with a 25-16 win of its own.
Idaho slammed the door in the fifth the same way it opened the match, from the serving line. A Greer kill sandwiched between three Wakatake aces got UI out to a 4-0 early lead, Keira Kleidon added two more during an 11-6 cushion, and Danielson hammered home the clincher for a 15-9 finish and the 3-2 win.
Greer led the way with 17 kills on .382 hitting to go with a team-high five aces, while Danielson added 12 kills and Alaina Armstrong chipped in 10 off the bench. As a team, Idaho served up a staggering 18 aces, which ties for the second most in a match in program history and the most since 1991. Greer's five individual assists make her one of just eight players all time to hit that mark as a Vandal, and the sophomore now has a conference-high 17 in eleven matches.
Zola Zuccolo and Csenge Krakoczki combined for 40 assists to pace an Idaho attack that hit .429 in the opening set and .313 in the clincher.
UP NEXT
Idaho closes out the New Orleans Invitational on Saturday against Cal State Fullerton. First serve is set for 9 a.m. PT.
