TROY, Ala. (August 27, 2026) – The University of North Alabama volleyball team will open its 2026 season against Alabama State at the Troy Invitational beginning on Friday, August 28.
The Lions will face off against the host Trojans, along with Alabama State and Mercer over the weekend. They will play one match per day, starting with Alabama State on Friday at 2 p.m., followed by Troy at 4 p.m. on Saturday. North Alabama will conclude the weekend on Sunday at 11 a.m. against Mercer.
This invitational will be played at Troy University inside of Trojan Arena. North Alabama's match against Troy will be broadcast on ESPN+. UNA's other two matches will not be broadcasted, but fans can follow along with live stats for each match this weekend on StatBroadcast.
Tickets will be sold each day, and each ticket is good for the matches that specific day.
Shortly after the Troy Invitational, North Alabama will play Alabama A&M in the Lions' home opener at CB&S Bank Arena on Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. Live stats will be available on StatBroadcast for this match.
MATCH 1
North Alabama vs. Alabama State
Friday, August 28, 2026
2 p.m.
Live Stats
MATCH 2
North Alabama at Troy
Saturday, August 29, 2026
4 p.m.
Live Stats
Watch
MATCH 3
North Alabama vs. Mercer
Sunday, August 30, 2026
11 a.m.
Live Stats
NOTES
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama enters the 2026 season returning three All-ASUN selections; Reese Ricketts, Kinslee McGowan and Kendall Barnes. During her rookie season, Ricketts received ASUN Freshman of the Year, and in her sophomore season she was a Third Team All-ASUN selection. McGowan also comes off a Third Team All-ASUN selection season after totaling 1,164 assists to lead the conference. On top of these players, the Lions also bring back five players that played in at least 90 percent of matches. Last season, North Alabama had an overall record of 14-16 and a conference record of 8-8, finishing seventh in the conference.
SCOUTING ALABAMA STATE: Last season, the Hornets went 14-16, finishing with a 12-4 record in the Southwestern Athletic Conference to be tied for second with Jackson State. The Hornets have two key returners, Kaylen Hines and Kamrynn Clay, both of which received First Team All-SWAC honors along with Clay winning Setter of the Year. Alabama State brings back just three returners, relying heavily on the transfer portal and welcoming in ten transfers.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST THE HORNETS: This will mark the 17th meeting between North Alabama and Alabama State, and just the third meeting in the Division I era. The overall record between the two teams is tied at 8-8, while UNA has won each matchup while being Division I. The Lions last faced off against the Hornets at Alabama State on Sept. 5, 2023, where the Lions won 3-1. North Alabama has also won the last five matches, which dates back to 1982.
SCOUTING TROY: Troy enters the season after going 10-16 last season and 7-9 in the Sunbelt Conference, finishing fourth out of seven in the west division. They return 11 this season and bring in four new faces, including one transfer from UT Arlington, Sophie Ocampo, who had 186 kills last season. In the west division of the Sunbelt, Troy was ranked fifth of seven teams in the preseason poll. One key returner is Madison Marx, who was the 2025 team leader in assists with 535.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST THE TROJANS: This meeting will mark the 33rd meeting between the Lions and Trojans. This is the first match between the two in the DI era, with the last meeting coming from the 1990 season, where they played each other three times. Troy won the first two that season with UNA winning the last match 3-1. The Lions have an overall record of 22-10 over Troy.
SCOUTING MERCER: Last season, Mercer 10-20 overall and 6-10 in the Southern Conference, placing seventh out of nine teams. This season, they were ranked ninth out of ten teams in the preseason poll. The Bears return 11 players from last season and bring in nine newcomers. One key returner is Joselynn Sanjurjo, who was the team's block leader in 2025 with 82 blocks. Of the returners, four played in all 30 matches last season. Mercer welcomes five transfers, two of which recorded over 100 kills last season: Taylor Timko and Avery Wilks.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST THE BEARS: This will mark just the second meeting between North Alabama and Mercer. The first match occurred in 2018 at the Jax State Invitational, where the Bears won 3-2.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
