Thursday, September 17
Spokane, Wash.
4:30 p.m. CT
North Dakota State
vs
Montana
Photo by: Zachary Lucy
NDSU Volleyball Prepared for Zags Volleyball Classic
9/16/2026 11:03:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
THIS WEEK
The North Dakota State (5-2) volleyball team concludes non-conference play at the Zags Volleyball Classic this week in Spokane, Washington. The Bison will take on Montana (3-5) on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. CT and Gonzaga (3-6) on Friday at 8:00 p.m. CT. NDSU closes the trip against Seattle (3-4) on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. CT.
MATCH COVERAGE
GoBison.com: All three matches will feature live statistics. The Friday night match against Gonzaga will stream on the Pac-12 YouTube channel. Links to live stats, live video and audio can be found at GoBison.com/coverage.
PROMO SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
After playing its entire non-conference schedule on the road, the Bison will open their home schedule next Thursday night hosting St. Thomas at 7:00 p.m. and fans will receive a free poster. The full 2026 promotional schedule can be viewed here.
LAST TIME OUT
Courtney Peters led the Bison with a match-high 14 kills and Sarah Pfiffner logged her third consecutive double-double with 29 assists and 10 digs in the 3-0 win over Portland at the Bobcat Invitational.
THE SERIES VS. MONTANA
This will be the seventh all-time meeting between NDSU and Montana dating back to 2005 with the Bison leading the series, 4-2. In their most recent encounter in 2025, the Grizzlies edged the Bison in Missoula, 3-0.
THE SERIES VS. GONZAGA
This will be the fifth all-time meeting between NDSU and Gonzaga dating back to 2006 with the Bison leading the series, 3-1. In the most recent meeting in 2021, the Bulldogs blanked the Bison, 3-0, in Portland, Oregon.
THE SERIES VS. SEATTLE
This will be only the second all-time meeting between NDSU and Seattle after the Bison topped the Redhawks, 3-1, in Moscow, Idaho in 2023.
ROAD BISON
NDSU will play all 10 of its non-conference matches on the road this season. It marks the longest road stretch to begin a season since 2021 when the Bison played 12 straight non-conference matches on the road, which included a 3-1 win over Cal.
ALL-TOURNAMENT ACCOLADES
Arianna Blohm is the only player to be named to an All-Tournament Team in each of the first three weeks of the season. She leads the Bison in both kills (86) and blocks (20.0) through seven matches.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Outside hitters Lauren Jansen and Zoe John were named to the Summit League Players to Watch list. Jansen has totaled a team-high 699 kills over three seasons, including a career-high 328 kills last season. John appeared in 23 matches in her first season with the Bison last year. The Queen Creek, Ariz., native reached double digits in kills in five matches and posted 146 kills.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
The Bison were picked fourth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll with 29 points. South Dakota and St. Thomas were tied for second place with 41 points and one first place vote each. South Dakota State earned the top spot with 47 points and six first place votes.
RETURNING ALL-LEAGUE BISON
NDSU returns all three of its Summit League All-League selections from last season. Lauren Jansen was tabbed to the All-League First Team for the first time in her career, while Arianna Blohm was named to the All-League Second Team. Rya Borer was also selected to the All-Freshman Team.
EXPERIENCE IN THE LINEUP
NDSU returns seven starters from last season: Arianna Blohm, Maddy Dombeck, Cathy Porter, Emma Tallman, Lauren Jansen, Zoe John and Rya Borer. Blohm is the most experienced player on the roster having appeared in 90 matches over four seasons.
PORTAL ADDITIONS
Sarah Pfiffner was the only transfer portal addition over the offseason. She played one season at West Virginia in 2025 and appeared in 25 matches. The Frisco, Texas native ranked second on the team with 309 total assists. Pfiffner joins Cathy Porter (Hillsborough Community College), Abi Banitt (SIUE) and Zoe John (Pacific) as the only players added through the portal.
YOUNG BISON
The Bison have seven total newcomers on the roster this season, including six first-year players: Malayna Syverson, Kendall Worwa, Morgan Engel, Aryn Heeke, Allie Collins and Courtney Peters. The roster is constructed of 50 percent first or second-year players. Natasha Kidd, Sarah Pfiffner and Rya Borer each enter their second season.
FROM HIGH SCHOOL TEAMMATES TO BISON
Malayna Syverson and Morgan Engel were high school teammates at Ada-Borup-West High School in Ada, Minn. Engel is also following in the footsteps of her mother, Janna Ruebke Engel, who played for NDSU volleyball from 1996-99 and was recently inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025.
LOPEZ CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOK
Head coach Jennifer Lopez is entering her 10th season and has amassed 136 wins over that span. Her 136 wins are the most in the NDSU Division I era and rank third all-time in Bison history. Her 10 seasons are also the second-most in program history behind Jolyn Montgomery (11 seasons, 1989-92).
THE BBF ADVANTAGE
The Bison posted an 11-2 record at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse last season, which marked the most home wins in the NDSU Divsion I era and most since 2003. The Bison have called Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse home since 1978 and have notched a 428-114 overall record at home during that span. NDSU picked up its 400th win at the BBF after sweeping Kansas City, 3-0, on Oct. 1, 2022.
GOING THE DISTANCE
The Bison posted a 5-0 mark in five-set matches last season and have earned two five-set wins this season. Dating back to the 2024 season, NDSU is 9-1 in its last 10 five-set matches.
LOOKING BACK AT THE 2025 SEASON
The Bison notched a 17-11 (10-6 Summit) overall record last season. NDSU made its fourth straight appearance in the Summit League Championship before falling short against South Dakota State in the semifinal round. It marked the third time in the last four seasons that NDSU has advanced to the semifinal round.
TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS IN THE CLASSROOM
NDSU earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 14th straight year in 2025-26. The award recognizes collegiate and high school programs across the country that maintained a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. The Bison also earned Academic Honor Roll recognition, which celebrates programs in the top 20 percent of their division. NDSU boasted a 3.74 cumulative GPA last season.
NEXT UP
NDSU will begin Summit League play hosting St. Thomas on Thursday, Sept. 24. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m., at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
The North Dakota State (5-2) volleyball team concludes non-conference play at the Zags Volleyball Classic this week in Spokane, Washington. The Bison will take on Montana (3-5) on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. CT and Gonzaga (3-6) on Friday at 8:00 p.m. CT. NDSU closes the trip against Seattle (3-4) on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. CT.
MATCH COVERAGE
GoBison.com: All three matches will feature live statistics. The Friday night match against Gonzaga will stream on the Pac-12 YouTube channel. Links to live stats, live video and audio can be found at GoBison.com/coverage.
PROMO SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
After playing its entire non-conference schedule on the road, the Bison will open their home schedule next Thursday night hosting St. Thomas at 7:00 p.m. and fans will receive a free poster. The full 2026 promotional schedule can be viewed here.
LAST TIME OUT
Courtney Peters led the Bison with a match-high 14 kills and Sarah Pfiffner logged her third consecutive double-double with 29 assists and 10 digs in the 3-0 win over Portland at the Bobcat Invitational.
THE SERIES VS. MONTANA
This will be the seventh all-time meeting between NDSU and Montana dating back to 2005 with the Bison leading the series, 4-2. In their most recent encounter in 2025, the Grizzlies edged the Bison in Missoula, 3-0.
THE SERIES VS. GONZAGA
This will be the fifth all-time meeting between NDSU and Gonzaga dating back to 2006 with the Bison leading the series, 3-1. In the most recent meeting in 2021, the Bulldogs blanked the Bison, 3-0, in Portland, Oregon.
THE SERIES VS. SEATTLE
This will be only the second all-time meeting between NDSU and Seattle after the Bison topped the Redhawks, 3-1, in Moscow, Idaho in 2023.
ROAD BISON
NDSU will play all 10 of its non-conference matches on the road this season. It marks the longest road stretch to begin a season since 2021 when the Bison played 12 straight non-conference matches on the road, which included a 3-1 win over Cal.
ALL-TOURNAMENT ACCOLADES
Arianna Blohm is the only player to be named to an All-Tournament Team in each of the first three weeks of the season. She leads the Bison in both kills (86) and blocks (20.0) through seven matches.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Outside hitters Lauren Jansen and Zoe John were named to the Summit League Players to Watch list. Jansen has totaled a team-high 699 kills over three seasons, including a career-high 328 kills last season. John appeared in 23 matches in her first season with the Bison last year. The Queen Creek, Ariz., native reached double digits in kills in five matches and posted 146 kills.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
The Bison were picked fourth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll with 29 points. South Dakota and St. Thomas were tied for second place with 41 points and one first place vote each. South Dakota State earned the top spot with 47 points and six first place votes.
RETURNING ALL-LEAGUE BISON
NDSU returns all three of its Summit League All-League selections from last season. Lauren Jansen was tabbed to the All-League First Team for the first time in her career, while Arianna Blohm was named to the All-League Second Team. Rya Borer was also selected to the All-Freshman Team.
EXPERIENCE IN THE LINEUP
NDSU returns seven starters from last season: Arianna Blohm, Maddy Dombeck, Cathy Porter, Emma Tallman, Lauren Jansen, Zoe John and Rya Borer. Blohm is the most experienced player on the roster having appeared in 90 matches over four seasons.
PORTAL ADDITIONS
Sarah Pfiffner was the only transfer portal addition over the offseason. She played one season at West Virginia in 2025 and appeared in 25 matches. The Frisco, Texas native ranked second on the team with 309 total assists. Pfiffner joins Cathy Porter (Hillsborough Community College), Abi Banitt (SIUE) and Zoe John (Pacific) as the only players added through the portal.
YOUNG BISON
The Bison have seven total newcomers on the roster this season, including six first-year players: Malayna Syverson, Kendall Worwa, Morgan Engel, Aryn Heeke, Allie Collins and Courtney Peters. The roster is constructed of 50 percent first or second-year players. Natasha Kidd, Sarah Pfiffner and Rya Borer each enter their second season.
FROM HIGH SCHOOL TEAMMATES TO BISON
Malayna Syverson and Morgan Engel were high school teammates at Ada-Borup-West High School in Ada, Minn. Engel is also following in the footsteps of her mother, Janna Ruebke Engel, who played for NDSU volleyball from 1996-99 and was recently inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025.
LOPEZ CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOK
Head coach Jennifer Lopez is entering her 10th season and has amassed 136 wins over that span. Her 136 wins are the most in the NDSU Division I era and rank third all-time in Bison history. Her 10 seasons are also the second-most in program history behind Jolyn Montgomery (11 seasons, 1989-92).
THE BBF ADVANTAGE
The Bison posted an 11-2 record at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse last season, which marked the most home wins in the NDSU Divsion I era and most since 2003. The Bison have called Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse home since 1978 and have notched a 428-114 overall record at home during that span. NDSU picked up its 400th win at the BBF after sweeping Kansas City, 3-0, on Oct. 1, 2022.
GOING THE DISTANCE
The Bison posted a 5-0 mark in five-set matches last season and have earned two five-set wins this season. Dating back to the 2024 season, NDSU is 9-1 in its last 10 five-set matches.
LOOKING BACK AT THE 2025 SEASON
The Bison notched a 17-11 (10-6 Summit) overall record last season. NDSU made its fourth straight appearance in the Summit League Championship before falling short against South Dakota State in the semifinal round. It marked the third time in the last four seasons that NDSU has advanced to the semifinal round.
TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS IN THE CLASSROOM
NDSU earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 14th straight year in 2025-26. The award recognizes collegiate and high school programs across the country that maintained a year-long grade-point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. The Bison also earned Academic Honor Roll recognition, which celebrates programs in the top 20 percent of their division. NDSU boasted a 3.74 cumulative GPA last season.
NEXT UP
NDSU will begin Summit League play hosting St. Thomas on Thursday, Sept. 24. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m., at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
S/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballFriday, September 11
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