Thursday, September 3
Vermillion, SD
3:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Northern Iowa
Photo by: Jonathan Suni
Falcons to Play Three Matches at South Dakota Classic
9/1/2026 4:46:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Air Force volleyball teams (1-1) will make its first-ever trip to Vermillion, S.D., this weekend, when they face Northern Iowa, South Dakota, and Utah Valley at the South Dakota Classic on Sept. 3-5.
MATCH INFORMATION
The South Dakota Classic, which features Air Force, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, and Utah Valley, will be held at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion, S.D., over the Sept 3-5 weekend. The entire tournament will be streamed live on Midco SportsPlus, while live stats will be available through StatBroadcast (direct links are available on the Falcons' schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com).
AIR FORCE vs NORTHERN IOWA
Thursday | Sept 3 | 4:00 pm CT
Vermillion, S.D. | Sanford Coyotes Sports Center
Watch | Stats | Tickets | UNI Radio Broadcast
AIR FORCE at SOUTH DAKOTA
Friday | Sept 4 | 7:00 pm CT
Vermillion, S.D. | Sanford Coyotes Sports Center
Watch | Stats | Tickets | Air Force Volleyball Notes
AIR FORCE vs UTAH VALLEY
Saturday | Sept 5 | 11:00 am CT
Vermillion, S.D. | Sanford Coyotes Sports Center
Watch | Stats | Tickets
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
NORTHERN IOWA went 1-2 at the Cyclone Invitational during the opening weekend of the 2026 season, as the Panthers defeated Loyola Chicago in five and fell to a pair of teams that were receiving votes in the preseason coaches' poll – Georgia Tech (0-3), Iowa State (1-3). * SOUTH DAKOTA enters its home tournament with a 2-1 mark, following a season-opening weekend at the Drake Tournament. The Coyotes opened the season with wins over Drake (3-1) and Milwaukee (3-0), before closing out the weekend with a 1-3 loss to DePaul. * UTAH VALLEY started the season with a 0-3 weekend at its home tournament, falling to Utah Tech (1-3), Oregon State (1-3) and Utah (0-3), who was receiving votes in the preseason coaches' poll.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Falcons, who will face Northern Iowa for the first time, are 2-5 against their other two opponents – holding a 1-2 mark against South Dakota and a 1-3 record against Utah Valley. Despite the limited meetings, the series dates back to 1990, when the Falcons swept the Coyotes at a tournament in Nebraska. Air Force and Utah Valley have not faced each other since 2013 and their only neutral site match with the Wolverines was a 3-2 victory at the Weber State Invitational in 2005.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Five freshmen made their collegiate debut in the season opening match at Boston College, including two – Aylani Correa, Jenness Orcutt – who earned a spot in the starting rotation. Neely Leathers, Kennedy Simon, and Ella Vogel also saw action in the opener, with Simon tyin for the team lead in kills (seven).
MOVING ON UP
With a six-block performance at the Chestnut Hill Invitational, Grace Fiaseu debuted on the program's Division I career standings for total blocks. The junior accounted for three solo blocks against Boston College, before assisting on three more against Quinnipiac.
MW+ … THE NEW HOME OF MOUNTAIN WEST SPORTS
Over the summer, the Mountain West launched MW+, its new digital subscription platform, powered by Kiswe. The platform marked a significant step forward in the conference's digital evolution, delivering expanded access to live and on-demand content, while creating new opportunities for fan engagement and revenue generation for member institutions. MW+, which will offer an annual subscription for $79.99 and a month subscription for $10.99, is available on a variety of platforms and devices, including web, iPhone and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, Amazon Prime Channels (coming soon), and more.
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force opens the home portion of its 2026 season next week, when it welcomes Idaho State, Little Rock, and Tennessee Tech to the Academy for the annual Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic on Sept 10-12.
MATCH INFORMATION
The South Dakota Classic, which features Air Force, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, and Utah Valley, will be held at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion, S.D., over the Sept 3-5 weekend. The entire tournament will be streamed live on Midco SportsPlus, while live stats will be available through StatBroadcast (direct links are available on the Falcons' schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com).
AIR FORCE vs NORTHERN IOWA
Thursday | Sept 3 | 4:00 pm CT
Vermillion, S.D. | Sanford Coyotes Sports Center
Watch | Stats | Tickets | UNI Radio Broadcast
AIR FORCE at SOUTH DAKOTA
Friday | Sept 4 | 7:00 pm CT
Vermillion, S.D. | Sanford Coyotes Sports Center
Watch | Stats | Tickets | Air Force Volleyball Notes
AIR FORCE vs UTAH VALLEY
Saturday | Sept 5 | 11:00 am CT
Vermillion, S.D. | Sanford Coyotes Sports Center
Watch | Stats | Tickets
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
NORTHERN IOWA went 1-2 at the Cyclone Invitational during the opening weekend of the 2026 season, as the Panthers defeated Loyola Chicago in five and fell to a pair of teams that were receiving votes in the preseason coaches' poll – Georgia Tech (0-3), Iowa State (1-3). * SOUTH DAKOTA enters its home tournament with a 2-1 mark, following a season-opening weekend at the Drake Tournament. The Coyotes opened the season with wins over Drake (3-1) and Milwaukee (3-0), before closing out the weekend with a 1-3 loss to DePaul. * UTAH VALLEY started the season with a 0-3 weekend at its home tournament, falling to Utah Tech (1-3), Oregon State (1-3) and Utah (0-3), who was receiving votes in the preseason coaches' poll.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Falcons, who will face Northern Iowa for the first time, are 2-5 against their other two opponents – holding a 1-2 mark against South Dakota and a 1-3 record against Utah Valley. Despite the limited meetings, the series dates back to 1990, when the Falcons swept the Coyotes at a tournament in Nebraska. Air Force and Utah Valley have not faced each other since 2013 and their only neutral site match with the Wolverines was a 3-2 victory at the Weber State Invitational in 2005.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Five freshmen made their collegiate debut in the season opening match at Boston College, including two – Aylani Correa, Jenness Orcutt – who earned a spot in the starting rotation. Neely Leathers, Kennedy Simon, and Ella Vogel also saw action in the opener, with Simon tyin for the team lead in kills (seven).
MOVING ON UP
With a six-block performance at the Chestnut Hill Invitational, Grace Fiaseu debuted on the program's Division I career standings for total blocks. The junior accounted for three solo blocks against Boston College, before assisting on three more against Quinnipiac.
MW+ … THE NEW HOME OF MOUNTAIN WEST SPORTS
Over the summer, the Mountain West launched MW+, its new digital subscription platform, powered by Kiswe. The platform marked a significant step forward in the conference's digital evolution, delivering expanded access to live and on-demand content, while creating new opportunities for fan engagement and revenue generation for member institutions. MW+, which will offer an annual subscription for $79.99 and a month subscription for $10.99, is available on a variety of platforms and devices, including web, iPhone and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, Amazon Prime Channels (coming soon), and more.
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force opens the home portion of its 2026 season next week, when it welcomes Idaho State, Little Rock, and Tennessee Tech to the Academy for the annual Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic on Sept 10-12.
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's VolleyballTuesday, September 22
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