The University of Northern Colorado volleyball team will play at home for the rest of November.
With one key Big Sky Conference match in hand after a three-set sweep of Idaho State on Thursday evening, the Bears have two conference matches remaining before hosting the eight-team tournament Nov. 24-26 at Bank of Colorado Arena.
Three wins in those three matches, and the Bears earn the top seed for the conference tournament and they’ll host again in 2026 as the regular-season champion this fall.
Not a bad spot for team that is 8-2 at home this season.
“I think we’ve put ourselves in a pretty good position,” freshman outside hitter Leila Ballard said earlier this week. “Especially, (we’re) probably playing our best volleyball right now. It feels easier going into this week, knowing we’re all going to play our hardest and probably play our best. Let’s hope.”
University of Northern Colorado defensive specialist Bella LePore (16) celebrates scoring a point with teammates during a Big Sky Conference volleyball match against Idaho State on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025 at Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley. The Bears beat the Bengals in three sets to remain in second place in the conference standings with two regular-season matches to play. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)UNC hosts Weber State on Saturday and Northern Arizona on Friday, Nov. 21. Both matches begin at 6 p.m. Weber State swept UNC in three set in the teams’ first conference of the year in late September. Northern Arizona beat UNC in three sets in late October.
For information on tickets for the final regular-season matches and the Big Sky Conference Tournament, go to tickets.unco.edu. The Big Sky tournament champion earns the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Thursday’s win over Idaho State left UNC alone in second place in the conference standings. The Bears started the week tied for second with Sacramento State, which plays again Friday. Northern Arizona remained in first place following a five-set win over Weber State on Thursday evening.
Last weekend, UNC split conference road matches against Portland State and Sacramento State. The Bears lost in four sets at Portland State last Thursday in a bit of a surprising result. Two days later, UNC beat Sacramento State in a tough five-set match.
While UNC has spent much of the conference season near the top of the standings, Portland State is a middle-of-the-pack team. The Bears beat Portland State 3-1 last month at home.
“Ideally, we wouldn’t have wanted to drop that match against Portland State,” middle blocker Zoe Gibbs said. “But I think we did win the one that still puts us in a good position for standings. So, we’re still in a good spot.”
University of Northern Colorado setter Nerea Alvarez Jorge (3) sets the ball during a Big Sky Conference match against Idaho State on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025 at Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley. UNC swept the Bengals in three sets. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)Gibbs, a senior from Niwot, said the loss to Portland State gives the Bears drive to play better this week.
The two matches last weekend are examples of the inconsistent play that has hung around the Bears through the season. It’s a word head coach Lyndsey Oates has used at times to describe the team, and the up-and-down play can happen even in the course of one match.
Resilience is also a word used within the team. It’s a defining word for the Bears’ identity this year, Oates said. Though they can have moments of inconsistency, the athletes manage those stretches — either by playing their way out of the inconsistencies or by fixing the mistakes ahead of the next match.
Gibbs said between the Portland State and Sacramento State matches last Friday, the UNC coaching staff pushed the players hard during practice. Gibbs said she found the session helpful to reset their mindset.
“It’s controllable,” she added. “It’s all stuff that we’re doing. We just need to flip the switch sooner.”
Oates said the team saw the need for resilience from the beginning of the season. With multiple teams having the talent to be the best in the conference, including UNC, the Bears wanted to be more resilient than their opponents.
“How can we be the more resilient team and the more prepared team? And I think this group of players is leaving no stone unturned,” Oates said. “They’re going to everything they can, whether it’s extra reps, or rest or hydration or recovery, or whatever it takes to be at their best. I think that has been something special about this group.”
University of Northern Colorado outside hitter Alayna Tessena (11) hits the ball during a Big Sky Conference match against Idaho State on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025 at Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley. Tessena had 14 kills in the Bears' three-set sweep. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)Big Sky Conference Tournament schedule
Four quarterfinal matches are scheduled for Monday, Nov. 24. The semifinals are Tuesday, Nov. 25 and the championship is 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26. All matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
Monday, Nov. 24 – Quarterfinals
Match 1: #4 Seed vs. #5 Seed // 10:00 a.m. MT
Match 2: #1 Seed vs. #8 Seed // 1:00 p.m. MT
Match 3: #2 Seed vs. #7 Seed // 4:00 p.m. MT
Match 4: #3 Seed vs. #6 Seed // 7:00 p.m. MT
Tuesday, Nov. 25 – Semifinals
Match 5: Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2 // 4:00 p.m. MT
Match 6: Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4 // 7:00 p.m. MT
Wednesday, Nov. 26 – Championship
Match 7: Winner of Match 6 vs. Winner of Match 7 // 7:00 p.m. MT
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