MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University volleyball team will kickoff its 2024 season by facing four opponents this weekend in Mankato, Minnesota for the Minnesota State Tournament. 

The multi-day tournament will begin on Friday, September 6 and will wrap-up on Saturday, September 7. Northern will open with  Minnesota State University Moorhead on Friday at 9 a.m. ET, followed by a match against Truman State at 5 p.m. On Saturday, NMU will face Upper Iowa at 11 a.m. and end the tournament with host Minnesota State at 3 p.m.


Follow The Action
Follow @NMU_Volleyball and @NMU_Wildcats on X and Instagram for coverage during the tournament.

Friday, September 6 - vs. Minnesota State Moorhead at 9 a.m. ET
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Friday, September 6 - vs. Truman State at 5 p.m. ET
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Saturday, September 7 - vs. Upper Iowa at 11 a.m. ET
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Saturday, September 7 - vs. Minnesota State at 3 p.m. ET
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A Word from Mike Lozier
"Having 5th year seniors Jacqui and Meghan as pillars to our offense is really going to help. The hope is their level of play will raise everyone around them. We can't just rely on them though, and everyone needs to raise their level of play."



Cat Nips

• NMU went 12-18 a year ago, finishing conference play in 5th at 9-9. 
• Within the lines, the Green and Gold return plenty of firepower and will be a contender for the conference crown come March. Headlined by four-time All-GLIAC First Teamer Jacqueline Smith, the Wildcats return nearly 80% of their set-time from a season ago.
• Smith will look to make history this season for NMU, as her 1,471 career kills are second in program history, just 193 back of Andrea Gommans' 1,664. Smith's mark of 1,471 is also second across the Division II landscape of active players, only trailing the 1,480 from Kenzie Foley of St. Cloud State. 
• Joining Smith along the net will be another four-time All-GLIAC honoree in Meghan Meyer. The 6' middle blocker has been as consistent as they come over her four seasons, posting an impressive .349 career attack percentage. She will also be looking to reach the 1,000 career kill milestone this year, currently sitting at 849. 
• NMU will also look to sophomores Liesl Haugen at libero and Allie Barlow at setter for significant contributions after impressive freshmen campaigns. Haugen was named an All-GLIAC Honorable Mention last season in which she totaled 412 digs and ranked second in the GLIAC with 5.07 digs per set. Barlow made nine starts last year, recording 297 assists with a 8.03 assist/set average. 
• Eleven other returners will look to take a leap into a bigger role for the 'Cats, as well as five newcomers fresh to the fold to round out the 20-player squad, the biggest team head coach Mike Lozier has had. 
• The Wildcats also welcomed back former setter Lauren Van Remortel as a new addition to the 2024 coaching staff.  

A Look at Minnesota State Moorhead
The Dragons of Minnesota State Moorhead were selected to finish 13th out of 15 teams in the NSIC (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) Coaches Preseason Poll. This ranking comes after the team finished its 2023 season with an overall record of 7-20, and 3-15 during conference play. 

A Look at Truman State 
Truman State is a participant in the GLVC (Great Lakes Valley Conference). In the Preseason Poll, Truman State was selected to finish in 14th of 14. The last time NMU faced off against the Bulldogs was back in 2013 during the 2013 GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Tournament. 

A Look at Upper Iowa
The volleyball team at Upper Iowa University out of Fayette, Iowa welcomed a new head coach, Jim Dietz, for the 2024 season. Dietz will lead the Peacocks after 16 seasons as head coach at Lincoln Land Community College's volleyball team. Upper Iowa, also a member of the GLVC, was selected 8th out of 14 in the Preseason Poll. 

A Look at Minnesota State
The Minnesota State Mankato volleyball team is a part of the NSIC, and was selected 9th in the Coaches' Preseason Poll. The team finished its season last year with a record of 14-12 overall. The last time NMU faced off against the Mavericks was during the Keweenaw Volleyball Classic in 2021, and the Wildcats came up victorious at the end of the match with a final score of 3-2.