Thursday, October 1
Tulsa, Okla.
7 p.m.
North Dakota State
at
Oral Roberts
Photo by: Zachary Lucy
NDSU Volleyball Travels to Oral Roberts and Kansas City
9/30/2026 9:11:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
THIS WEEK
The North Dakota State (9-3, 1-1 Summit) volleyball team travels to Oral Roberts (6-6, 0-1 Summit) on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. The Bison wrap the trip at Kansas City (7-6, 1-0 Summit) on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
MATCH COVERAGE
GoBison.com: Both contests will feature live statistics and stream on Summit League Network for subscribers. Links to live stats, live video and audio can be found at GoBison.com/coverage.
SCHEDULE UPDATE
The start time for the NDSU at North Dakota match on Oct. 10 has been moved up to 11 a.m. The match will be televised on Midco Sports and stream on Summit League Network.
LAST TIME OUT
NDSU saw its five-match win streak come to a close after dropping a 3-1 decision against Omaha in Fargo last Saturday. Lauren Jansen paced the Bison after tying a career-high 22 kills for the second straight match. The Plainfield, Ill., native also added eight digs with two assists and one block. Sarah Pfiffner filled her stat line with a match-high 43 assists, seven kills, six digs and four blocks.
THE SERIES VS. ORAL ROBERTS
This will be the 42nd all-time meeting between NDSU and Oral Roberts dating back to 1982 with the Bison leading the series, 28-13. NDSU has won each of the last three meetings in the series, including a 3-0 win in Tulsa last season. Zoe John led the Bison with a match-high 11 kills.
THE SERIES VS. KANSAS CITY
This will be the 31st all-time meeting between NDSU and Kansas City dating back to 1982 with the Bison leading the series, 24-7. NDSU is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings and has won each of the last four, including a 3-0 win in Fargo last season. Lauren Jansen paced the Bison with a match-high 13 kills.
ROAD BISON
NDSU played all 10 of its non-conference matches on the road this season and notched an 8-2 record over that stretch. It marked 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.
ANY PLACE, ANY TIME
NDSU opened the season with 10 straight matches away from home, including six at neutral sites. The Bison join Middle Tennessee State as the only teams in country to boast a 6-0 mark in neutral site matches. It's also tied for the second-most neutral site wins behind Idaho (7-1). Dating back to last season, the Bison have won each of their last seven neutral site matches, which is tied for the third-longest streak in the country.
EARLY SEASON ACCOLADES
Arianna Blohm is the only player to be named to an All-Tournament Team in each of the first four weeks of the season. She also garnered Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week honors for the second time of her career last week. Blohm leads the Bison with 41.0 kills and has surpassed the 100-kill mark this season with 124.
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 95 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 140 wins over that span. Her 140 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 429-115 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 three five-set wins this season. Dating back to the 2024 season, NDSU is 10-1 in its last 11 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 travel to North Dakota on Saturday, Oct. 10. First serve is set for 11 a.m.
The North Dakota State (9-3, 1-1 Summit) volleyball team travels to Oral Roberts (6-6, 0-1 Summit) on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. The Bison wrap the trip at Kansas City (7-6, 1-0 Summit) on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
MATCH COVERAGE
GoBison.com: Both contests will feature live statistics and stream on Summit League Network for subscribers. Links to live stats, live video and audio can be found at GoBison.com/coverage.
SCHEDULE UPDATE
The start time for the NDSU at North Dakota match on Oct. 10 has been moved up to 11 a.m. The match will be televised on Midco Sports and stream on Summit League Network.
LAST TIME OUT
NDSU saw its five-match win streak come to a close after dropping a 3-1 decision against Omaha in Fargo last Saturday. Lauren Jansen paced the Bison after tying a career-high 22 kills for the second straight match. The Plainfield, Ill., native also added eight digs with two assists and one block. Sarah Pfiffner filled her stat line with a match-high 43 assists, seven kills, six digs and four blocks.
THE SERIES VS. ORAL ROBERTS
This will be the 42nd all-time meeting between NDSU and Oral Roberts dating back to 1982 with the Bison leading the series, 28-13. NDSU has won each of the last three meetings in the series, including a 3-0 win in Tulsa last season. Zoe John led the Bison with a match-high 11 kills.
THE SERIES VS. KANSAS CITY
This will be the 31st all-time meeting between NDSU and Kansas City dating back to 1982 with the Bison leading the series, 24-7. NDSU is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings and has won each of the last four, including a 3-0 win in Fargo last season. Lauren Jansen paced the Bison with a match-high 13 kills.
ROAD BISON
NDSU played all 10 of its non-conference matches on the road this season and notched an 8-2 record over that stretch. It marked 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.
ANY PLACE, ANY TIME
NDSU opened the season with 10 straight matches away from home, including six at neutral sites. The Bison join Middle Tennessee State as the only teams in country to boast a 6-0 mark in neutral site matches. It's also tied for the second-most neutral site wins behind Idaho (7-1). Dating back to last season, the Bison have won each of their last seven neutral site matches, which is tied for the third-longest streak in the country.
EARLY SEASON ACCOLADES
Arianna Blohm is the only player to be named to an All-Tournament Team in each of the first four weeks of the season. She also garnered Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week honors for the second time of her career last week. Blohm leads the Bison with 41.0 kills and has surpassed the 100-kill mark this season with 124.
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 95 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 140 wins over that span. Her 140 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 429-115 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 three five-set wins this season. Dating back to the 2024 season, NDSU is 10-1 in its last 11 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 travel to North Dakota on Saturday, Oct. 10. First serve is set for 11 a.m.
Players Mentioned
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