ALBUQUERQUE—It was not always pretty, but the Idaho Vandals opened the 2016 season with a 25-21, 25-16, 22-25, 25-21 win over the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Champion Fairfield Stags on Friday to open the UNM Invitational. The win for Idaho marks its first season-opening victory since 2013 and the 10th since 2000.
Idaho (1-0) opened the match with two new faces in the starting lineup. Both Haylee Mathis and Tara Eaton got their first career starts. Six newcomers in all saw their first action throughout the match.