MOSCOW, Idaho - After one of the strongest non-conference slates in recent history, Idaho Volleyball kicked off the Big Sky portion of the 2026 season by hosting in-state rival Idaho State on Thursday in Memorial Gym. ISU came to Moscow as another of the league's hottest teams and UI couldn't get into a consistent offensive rhythm, falling 0-3 in the home opener.
The match was as advertised from the jump, a heavyweight bout between in-state rivals with two of the top records in the Big Sky. Sophie Danielson and Kiana Greer got the Vandal offense rolling with three early kills before Koen Makaula, Alaina Armstrong, and Zola Zuccolo kept the pace into the media break. The Bengals began to break away with a late 4-0 run before taking the set on a service error.
As they've done often this season, the Vandals came alive in the second set, going on an early 6-1 run with four kills coming from Sarah Sullivan in that stretch. The home team put together a commanding 15-8 lead at the media timeout before the Bengals began to chip away with a 3-0 run right away and a 4-0 run just moments later, before eventually knotting it back up at 18. Despite fervent efforts from Greer, Makaula, and Armstrong, ISU eventually sealed a competitive set, 25-23.
Having stolen the momentum going into the third, the Bengals took 13 of the first 17 points before a service error propelled the Vandals into a 5-1 run that featured two kills from Greer, one from Makaula, and Csenge Krakoczki dishing up her team's lone service ace of the night. Despite the late rally, the deficit was too much to overcome, and ISU took the frame and the match.
Kiana Greer, in typical fashion, tallied a match-high dozen kills, trailed by Danielson with six. Anika Hudson, Armstrong, and Makaula each patrolled the net with a pair of blocks apiece. Zola Zuccolo led the way in her first home start with 20 assists, while Krakoczki put up 11 and the ace. Junior Keira Kleidon led Idaho with 10 digs.
UP NEXT
UI concludes the homestand on Saturday night, hosting the Weber State Wildcats on Sept. 26. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 PM PT, and the action will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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To stay up to date with Vandal Volleyball, follow the team on Instagram (vandalvolleyball), X (IdahoVolleyball) and visit govandals.com
