FLORENCE, Ala. (September 3, 2026) – The University of North Alabama volleyball team will host the Jackson State Tigers, Chattanooga Mocs and UT Martin Skyhawks this weekend for the annual Noona Kennard Invitational at CB&S Bank Arena.
The Lions will start their weekend Friday at 1 p.m., facing Jackson State. They will then play later that night at 7 p.m. against Chattanooga to conclude the first day of the tournament. UNA will cap off the weekend facing UT Martin on Saturday at 3 p.m.
In non-UNA games, Chattanooga will face off against UT Martin Friday at 10 a.m. to open the weekend. UT Martin and Jackson State will play at 4 p.m. after UNA's match against Jackson State. Chattanooga and Jackson State will play Saturday at 12 p.m.
All three UNA matches will be available for streaming on ESPN+, and live stats will be provided on StatBroadcast. Full results and a recap will be uploaded to RoarLions.com after the match concludes, but fans can also get updates on UNA Volleyball's social media pages.
AJ Good and Ande Jones will be on call Friday for the match against Jackson State and Saturday against UT Martin. Grant Wakefield and Ande Jones will be on call for the match Friday against UT Chattanooga. Gyvan Hammons will be reporting from the sidelines all three matches.
The North Alabama matches are the only matches being streamed on ESPN+.
MATCH 1
North Alabama vs. Jackson State
Friday, Sept. 4, 2026
1 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
MATCH 2
North Alabama vs. UT Chattanooga
Friday, Sept. 4, 2026
7 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
MATCH 3
North Alabama vs. UT Martin
Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026
3 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
NOTES
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama enters the weekend 4-0 after sweeping its first four matches of the season. This is the first time the program has opened with four sweeps since 2005. Junior Reese Ricketts has 45 kills over four matches to lead the team. Junior Dylann Garner is right behind her with 42, and Senior Phoebe Reyes Fortunato has 40. These three also had 10+ kills in the match against Alabama A&M on Wednesday, Sept. 2. Ricketts has impressively put up 10+ kills in every match this season. Junior Kinslee McGowan continues to lead the way as the primary setter, with 135 assists from the teams 161.
LAST TIME OUT: The Lions faced the Alabama A&M Bulldogs on Wednesday, Sept. 2, defeating them in three sets. Reyes Fortunato led the team with a solid .321 hitting percentage and season-high of 13 kills. McGowan tied her season-high with 35 assists.
SCOUTING JACKSON STATE: The Jackson State Tigers enter the invitational with a 2-1 record after starting the season in the Stacheville Classic hosted by Austin Peay. Their one loss comes from getting swept by Kansas City, but they turned it around to win their next two against Austin Peay and UT Martin. Last season, the Tigers were 13-14 and 12-4 in the SWAC, finishing second in the conference. The Tigers return 10 players from the 2025 season, one of them being Preseason Second Team All-SWAC selection Hope Briggs who had 232 kills, 49 blocks and a .309 hitting percentage last season.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST THE TIGERS: This will mark the sixth meeting between UNA and JSU, with the Tigers only winning one of those matches. The Lions are 1-0 against the team in the Division I era and 4-1 overall.
SCOUTING CHATTANOOGA: The Chattanooga Mocs enter the weekend after hosting the Chattanooga Classic where they went 1-2. They opened the 2026 season with a sweep over Tennessee State but followed it up with losses to Valparaiso and UAB. They were picked fifth in the SoCon preseason poll after finishing the 2025 conference season 10-6.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST THE MOCS: The series history sits at 4-3 between these two with UNA in the lead. The last time the two teams faced each other was the Spring 2021 season following COVID-19, with the Mocs sweeping the Lions. The Mocs have won each match in the Division I era.
SCOUTING UT MARTIN: The Skyhawks enter the Noona Kennard Invitational 0-3 after playing in the Stacheville Classic (alongside Jackson State) hosted by Austin Peay. They lost to Austin Peay 3-0, Kansas City 3-2 and Jackson State 3-1. UT Martin was picked to finish seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll and two players on the OVC Watchlist; Sophomore outside hitter Chyler Martin and Junior middle blocker Luli Arcucci.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST THE SKYHAWKS: UNA and UT Martin have a lot of history, with UNA leading the overall series 32-13. The two have faced one time in the Division I era, with UNA winning 3-0 in 2024.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
