FARMINGTON, Utah (Sept. 22, 2026) – The road to Flagstaff begins on Tuesday night as conference action begins with an in-state rivalry matchup between Montana and Montana State in Missoula. Opening week of Big Sky play continues Thursday and Saturday with five more matches on each day.
Below are news & notes from around the league for Big Sky volleyball.
Eastern Washington's Kalista Lukovich Named Offensive Player of the Week
Eastern Washington's Kalista Lukovich was named Offensive Player of the Week after registering nearly 70 kills over three matches this weekend. Lukovich recorded a pair of 25+ kill matches against some of the region's top competition. Along with hitting .268 over the weekend, she also contributed 20 digs, eight total blocks, and four service aces. The honor is Lukovich's third of the season in four weeks.
Eastern Washington will open up Big Sky play at home this weekend against Idaho State and Weber State.
Others Nominated: Kiana Greer (UI), Gracie Cagle (UM), Karli Heidemann (MSU), Taryn Davis (NAU), Alayna Tessena (UNC), Ryen Smith (SUU), Shaylee Dahle (UTU)
Montana State's Nicolette Noble Named Defensive Player of the Week
Montana State's Nicolette Noble was named Defensive Player of the Week powering the Bobcats to a successful 2-1 weekend. Noble's defensive efforts were felt through all three matches as she averaged nearly four digs per set. She totaled 55 digs on the weekend and also contributed a service ace.
Montana State will play their first Big Sky matches on the road this week against Montana and Northern Colorado.
Others Nominated: Elle Bruegman (EWU), Madeline Sanderson (UM), Gigi Greenlee (NAU), Summer Snead (UNC), Kaitlyn Barnes (SUU), Mya Laufiso (UTU)
Big Sky Play Begins
After completing four weeks of non-conference action, teams around the league turn their attention towards the conference slate.
Conference action begins on Tuesday night with a Brawl matchup in Missoula between Montana and Montana State. The rest of the league will begin league play on Thursday night as five matches will take place. Saturday will close out the first week of conference action with five additional matches.
Idaho heads into Big Sky play at the top of the standings with a 9-3 record. The Vandals are currently on a five-match win streak, most recently recording a perfect 3-0 weekend in New Orleans to close out non-conference action.
Utah Tech and Weber State are right behind the Vandals in the standings with 7-3 records.
The top-eight teams in the standings at the end of conference play with qualify for the Big Sky championship in Flagstaff in November.
Northern Colorado Picked as Preseason Favorites by League Coaches
Northern Colorado was named preseason favorites by the league's head coaches after winning the Big Sky tournament a season ago. The Bears look to make a run behind their two preseason All-Conference team selections Alayna Tessena and Nerea Alvarez Jorge.
Northern Colorado earned the top spot in the poll after collecting four first-place votes and a league-leading 83 points, edging out Northern Arizona by just three points, who also compiled four first-place votes. Montana collected a pair of first-place votes and found themselves deadlocked with Idaho State at third. In their first season in the league, Utah Tech got the final first-place vote.
NAU's Hanah Stoddard Tabbed as Preseason MVP by League Coaches
Northern Arizona's Hanah Stoddard headlines the preseason All-Conference Team, earning preseason MVP honors. Stoddard played a crucial role in securing the Lumberjacks' regular-season title last year after recording a career-best 461 kills over 30 matches, which ranked second in the league. Defensively, she also tabbed 376 digs and 24 total blocks. The Co-MVP from a season ago also earned AVCA All-American honorable mention honors.
Southern Utah and Utah Tech Join the Big Sky in 2026
Southern Utah and Utah Tech were officially welcomed as members of the Big Sky Conference this past summer, as the addition of the Thunderbirds and Trailblazers give the Big Sky 11 volleyball squads for the 2026 season. The 2026 season will mark SUU’s return to the Big Sky after being a volleyball member from 2012-21, while the year will be UTU’s inaugural season in the league.
2026 Big Sky Volleyball Tournament Hosted in Flagstaff
The 2026 Big Sky Volleyball Championship, hosted by Northern Arizona, will be held in Flagstaff, Arizona on Nov. 23-25. The Lumberjacks earned the right to host the 2026 championship tournament by winning last fall's regular-season title. The 2026 tournament will be the first in Flagstaff since 2015.
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2026 Big Sky Volleyball Schedule (Week 5)
Tuesday, Sept. 22
Montana State at Montana // 7:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Thursday, Sept. 24
Montana at Northern Colorado // 6:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Southern Utah at Northern Arizona // 6:30 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Idaho State at Idaho // 7:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Weber State at Eastern Washington // 7:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Utah Tech at Portland State // 8:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, Sept. 26
Montana State at Northern Colorado // 12:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Idaho State at Eastern Washington // 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Utah Tech at Northern Arizona // 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Southern Utah at Portland State // 6:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Weber State at Idaho // 7:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)