The Illinois Springfield volleyball team will open the 2026 season with four matches this weekend at the Ferris State Invitational in Big Rapids, Mich.

The Prairie Stars begin tournament play Friday, Aug. 28, against Emporia State at 8:00 a.m. CT before facing tournament host Ferris State at 2:30 p.m. CT. UIS returns to the court Saturday morning against MSU Denver at 8:00 a.m. CT and closes the tournament against Purdue Northwest at 2:30 p.m. CT.

UIS was picked ninth in the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) preseason coaches' poll after finishing 12-14 in 2025. The Prairie Stars return an experienced core led by last season's leading scorer, Makenna Cox, and add three newcomers to the roster.

The opening weekend will provide UIS with a challenging group of opponents from three different conferences.

Emporia State enters the weekend at 1-0 after opening its season Thursday. The Hornets were picked fourth in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) preseason poll after going 21-7 in 2025. Six Emporia State players who appeared in at least 25 matches last season return in 2026.

Ferris State, the tournament host, was selected first in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) preseason poll and enters the weekend ranked No. 10 in the 2026 AVCA/Taraflex Division II Preseason National Rankings. The Bulldogs are coming off back-to-back NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearances. Ferris State opened its season Thursday with a 3-0 victory over MSU Denver.

MSU Denver enters Saturday's first match ranked No. 3 in the AVCA Division II national rankings. The Roadrunners went 32-3 last season and advanced into the NCAA postseason in December. MSU Denver competes in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).

Purdue Northwest provides a familiar regional opponent to close the tournament. The Pride went 13-13 in 2025 and advanced to the GLIAC Tournament, where they fell to Ferris State in the first round. Purdue Northwest was picked eighth in the 11-team GLIAC preseason poll.

All four matches will be streamed on FloCollege, with live statistics also available throughout the weekend. Links to the broadcasts, live stats and other match information are available on the UIS volleyball schedule page.