MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan volleyball team will play host to the eight team UP Open to begin the 2023 season, starting on Thursday, August 31 and running through Saturday, September 2. Northern Michigan will have four matches with the opener taking place at 7 p.m. on Thursday night against Minnesota Crookston. 

The UP Open tournament page featuring participants, schedule, rosters, and more can be found here. 

Follow The Action
Follow @NMU_Volleyball and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly know as Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the game. 

Thursday, August 31 - vs. Minnesota Crookston at 7 p.m. ET
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Friday, September 1 - vs. Hillsdale at 11:30 a.m. ET
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Friday, September 1 - vs. Concordia-St. Paul at 7 p.m. ET
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Saturday, September 2 - vs. Northwood at 7 p.m. ET
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Cat Nips
The Wildcats return two All-GLIAC First Teamers from a season ago in redshirt juniors Jacqueline Smith (AVCA All-America Honorable Mention) and Meghan Meyer. Setter Lauren Van Remortel is also back for a fifth season after Second Team All-GLIAC recognition a season ago.
Jacquline Smith, Lauren Van Remortel, and Evynn Layshock will make up the captain's trio this season
Mike Lozier has brought in his biggest freshmen class throughout his tenure with the Wildcats. The eight new faces include Outside Hitters Remi Madison, Helen Beiring, Kaysie Bakke, and Sydney Bartels; Setter Allie Barlow; Defensive Specialists Lauren Cardwell and Liesl Haugen; and Middle Blocker Emilia Gulock.

Notes on the Opponents
Minnesota Crookston
First up for the Wildcats on Thursday will be NSIC-opponent Minnesota Crookston. The Golden Eagles. NMU leads the all-time series 10-0 and defeated UMC 3-0 last season. Crookston went and is led by sophomore Audrey Cariveau who registered 276 kills last season.  

Hillsdale
The Wildcats and Chargers met last season, a 3-0 victory for Hillsdale. Last season, the Chargers went 28-7 and appeared in the NCAA Tournament. 

Concordia-St. Paul
The Golden Bears are the number two ranked team in the country, coming off of a 31-6 season where they reached the Division II National Championship match. In 2021, NMU fell in four sets to CSP. Senior Jasmine Mulvihill leads the attack for the Golden Bears after recording 518 kills a season ago.

Northwood
The Timberwolves went 16-16 last season. In the lone matchup with Northwood in 2022, NMU was victorious in four sets. Sydney Hasenfratz recorded 389 kills in her freshmen season to pace the Northwood attack. 
 
Mike Lozier Previews the UP Open


Match on the Mack
The Wildcats took part in the Match on the Mack on August 19, an exhibition contest against Division I Central Michigan on Mackinac Island. The 'Cats played with energy and hung tough, but fell in three sets against the Chippewas (22-25, 20-25, 15-25). 

The Wildcats jumped out to an early five-point lead to start the first set, controlling all the momentum in the gym. The Chippewas would eventually tie up the set before scoring four straight points late in the set, putting it out of reach. The second set was an inverse of the first, with the Chippewas jumping out to an early lead and the Wildcats clawing back to tie it up, but another late-set run for the Chippewas put it away once again. Set three saw the Chippewas step on the gas and not look back, as the extra week of practice and conditioning paid dividends for the Maroon and Gold. 

Jacqueline Smith paced the 'Cats with 11 kills while Lauren Van Remortel had 19 assists and Caylie Barlage recorded eight digs. Krystina Kasson and Abby Olin combined for 19 kills for CMU. 

New Faces on the Sideline
Fans will also see two new faces patrolling the sideline for the Wildcats this season as seventh-year head coach Mike Lozier has brought in two new assistants. Sarah Kuehn, after playing for the 'Cats from 2017-19 and coaching voluntarily in 2020-21, is back as a full-time assistant coach. Kamryn Duffield has also been added to the staff as an assistant coach after a stellar playing career at Wayne State. 

2023 GLIAC Volleyball Preseason Poll
1    Ferris State - 79 (7)
2    Grand Valley State - 70 (1)
3    Northern Michigan - 67 (2)
4    Michigan Tech - 53
5    Wayne State - 51
6    Davenport - 44
7    Saginaw Valley State - 34
8    Lake Superior State - 24
9    Parkside - 18
10    Purdue Northwest - 10

A Season Ago
In 2022, the Wildcats returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. NMU finished 23-9 and lost to No.1 Midwest seed Quincy in the big dance. The Wildcats started off last season red-hot, picking up 13 wins in its first 15 matches including a nine-game win streak that aided the 'Cats to earning the No. 2 seed in the GLIAC Tournament, where they lost to Grand Valley State in the quaterfinals.