TAHLEQUAH - Northeastern State volleyball will hit the court for the first time this Monday, when they will play in a preseason exhibition against Oral Roberts inside the Mabee Center in Tulsa.

The match will be the lone exhibition for both programs, and the first meeting since 1977.   Northeastern State will field an NCAA program for the first time this fall, with volleyball last on campus in the late 1970s.

The RiverHawks will have seven players from Oklahoma, with representatives from six states and two countries.  They are led by first-year head coach Maria Jacobus, who was an assistant coach at the University of Idaho last fall.  She was previously the head coach at Wenatchee Valley College from 2022–24.

Jacobus saw Oral Roberts last season while at Idaho, with the Vandals sweeping them in straight sets to start the campaign.  ORU went 3-25 a year ago under Nolan Albrecht, who was in his first season.

NSU will start the season with a chip on their shoulder after the MIAA Coaches ranked them 13th out of 13 programs. MIAA play starts on Sept. 18 for the RiverHawks, who will face Missouri Southern in the Event Center's first volleyball match.

First serve is at 7 p.m.; fans can follow the contest on GoRiverHawksGo.com/coverage.

2026 MIAA VOLLEYBALL
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
T1. Washburn [5] – 134 points
T1. Nebraska Kearney [4] – 134 points
3. Missouri Western [2] – 123 points
4. Emporia State [2] – 107 points 
5. Central Oklahoma – 104 points
6. Central Missouri – 90 points
7. Pittsburg State – 81 points
8. Fort Hays State – 63 points
9. Northwest Missouri – 57 points
10. Missouri Southern – 46 points
11. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 40 points
12. Newman – 23 points
13. Northeastern State – 12 points 
[#] - First Place Votes