The No. 13 Montana Tech volleyball team opens the season Thursday as the Orediggers host the Big Sky Volleyball Challenge.

The tournament, which has been played at the Butte Civic Center in recent years, will be held at the HPER Complex and Maroon Activities Center. The Orediggers will play all four matches of the three-day tournament at the HPER. (Schedule)

Tech will play one nationally-ranked team and three teams that received votes in the preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll. Up first is No. 9 Viterbo University (Wisconsin). The Orediggers will battle the V-Hawks at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Tech will play Cornerstone University (Michigan) at 11 a.m. Friday before taking on Bushnell University (Oregon) at 7 p.m.

The Diggers will close out the tournament with a 5 p.m. match Saturday against Vanguard University.

In all, 17 teams will compete in the tournament. That includes Frontier Conference teams Rocky Mountain College, the University of Providence and Carroll College.