DENTON, Texas – The UNT volleyball team is set for a busy three-match weekend at the Texas Challenge in Nacogdoches as it aims to get back in the win column.

North Texas (3-2, 0-0 American) opens play Thursday against UT Arlington at 3 p.m. It then faces tournament host Stephen F. Austin on Friday night at 6 p.m. and Texas State the following morning at 11 a.m. Friday’s meeting with the Lumberjacks will be available for streaming on ESPN+.

Weekend Overview


Led by a stout team defense, UNT ranks top three in the American Conference in digs per set (14.56), blocks per set (2.50) and opponent hitting percentage (.163).
Jahniya Jackson has racked up a team-high 55 kills this season and led the Mean Green in kills in four of five matches thus far.
A stable force on both sides, Addison Achilles is averaging 1.83 kills per set on a stellar .361 hitting percentage alongside 22.0 total blocks. Fellow middle blocker and Preseason All-Conference selection Loredana Fouonji has also lived up to the hype so far this season, matching Achilles with 33 kills and 22.0 blocks apiece.
During the opening weekend of the season, UNT swept three matches at the ACU Invitational to start 3-0 in back-to-back years for the first time in program history. Alessandra Romo was named American Conference Defensive Player of the Week afterwards, while Jackson and Achilles joined her on the All-Tournament Team.
Romo’s 3.94 digs per set ranks third among all American Conference players.

 
Familiar Foes


This weekend, UNT is scheduled to face several familiar opponents in UT Arlington, Stephen F. Austin and Texas State.
The Mavericks and Lumberjacks are UNT’s most common opponents in program history with 63 and 49 all-time matchups, respectively. UNT has also met Texas State 30 times, which is tied for 10th most in its history.
UNT trails the all-time series against UT Arlington 51-12 but has captured eight of their last 10 meetings, including a dramatic 3-2 victory last September at the College Park Center. Following UT Arlington’s 45-match winning streak from Oct. 2, 1976, to Oct. 22, 1994, the series has seen North Texas take an 11-6 lead.
Stephen F. Austin holds a 28-21 edge in the series, while Texas State enters the weekend leading 22-8. UNT has battled both teams since its inaugural 1976 season.

 
Previously On…


North Texas finds itself on a two-match losing streak after falling to No. 20 Baylor and then-No. 17 Florida in consecutive matches last week.
Despite sweeps in both contests, UNT battled each opponent well as it forced extra points in the third set against Baylor and second set in the Florida match. The Gators have since moved up to the No. 10 spot in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
That swing marked just the sixth time UNT has ever played ranked opponents in back-to-back matches.

 
Packing the Pit


The UNT volleyball program made history when 2,377 fans piled into the Super Pit on Sept. 6 to watch it battle 17th-ranked Florida.
That total set a new program attendance record, crushing UNT’s previous high of 1,414 which came against Miami (FL) back on Sept. 1, 2024.
North Texas pushed the Gators to the brink in the second set but ultimately fell in a three-set sweep.