MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan volleyball team will begin its season in Florida, playing four matches at the SpringHill Suites Invitational hosted by the University of West Florida (Pensacola, Fla.) from Thursday, September 4, through Saturday, September 6. 

NMU will be battle-tested each and every match this weekend, as all four schools they will face made the NCAA Tournament in 2024 and held a combined record of 101-31. 

Northern will begin play vs. an opponent they've never seen, Wheeling University (Wheeling, WV), on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET. NMU will have a doubleheader on Friday, playing another first-time opponent in  Spring Hill College (Mobile, AL) at 12:30 p.m. ET and Southwest Minnesota State at 8 p.m. ET. The Wildcats will finish the tournament on Saturday, matching up with host West Florida at 11 a.m. ET. 

Nearly 1,300 miles away from the shores of Lake Superior, Pensacola is nestled on the shores of the North Atlantic Ocean on the Florida panhandle. The Wildcats have made two previous trips to Pensacola, most recently in 2013, where they went 2-2 in tournament action with a 3-1 win over Florida Tech and a 3-0 sweep of Southern Indiana. NMU was also there in 2007, when they went 3-1. 


Follow the Action
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Thursday, September 4 - vs. Wheeling (Pensacola, Fla.) at 5:30 p.m. ET
Tournament Page  |  Watch  |  Live Stats

Friday, September 5 - vs. Spring Hill College (Pensacola, Fla.) at 12:30 p.m. ET
Tournament Page  |  Watch  |  Live Stats

Friday, September 5 - vs. Southwest Minnesota State (Pensacola, Fla.) at 8 p.m. ET
Tournament Page  |  Watch  |  Live Stats

Saturday, September 6 - at West Florida (Pensacola, Fla.) at 11 a.m. ET
Tournament Page  |  Watch  |  Live Stats


A Word from Mike Lozier
"We graduated seniors that were instrumental to our success on and off the floor, but the team we have this year is super motivated. We are in a position to see what we are made of. We open the season with really good opponents these first two weekends and I believe we are ready for it."



About the 'Cats
The Wildcats have been picked to finish fourth in the GLIAC this season after a third-place finish in 2024 with a 13-4 in-conference record. 

After losing five seniors, including all-time kills leader Jacqueline Smith, the Green and Gold will look to unleash a new brand of NMU volleyball that has a much different look, but the expectations remain the same. Captained by Allie Barlow, McKenzie Gruner, and Helen Beiring, the Wildcats will look for new and creative ways to fill the void of what they've become accustomed to in years past. 

Standing 6'2", senior middle blocker McKenzie Gruner will be a force for the Wildcats at the net. Last season, Gruner played in all 29 matches with 28 starts. She was named to the UP North Tournament All-Tournament Team with 39 kills, 8 blocks, and a .471 attack percentage over three matches, which included a career-high 15 kills in a victory over No. 7 St. Cloud State. She finished the campaign with 224 kills while leading the team with 57 total blocks.

Junior Allie Barlow was named to the All-GLIAC Second Team in 2024 after finishing with 1,175 assists on the season and 667 in conference play. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native had four matches with 50+ kills and was a two-time GLIAC Setter of the Week. She notched a career-best 62 assists in a five-set victory at Michigan Tech, ranked 2nd in league play with 27 service aces, and finished the season with 44 service aces, 99 kills, 260 digs, and 9 total blocks.

Junior libero Liesl Haugen was named an All-GLIAC Honorable Mention for the second straight season in 2024. She played in all 29 total matches for the Wildcats and was honored as the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week in week 9 following 63 digs over three matches. She recorded a team-best 450 digs with 249 coming in conference play and reached 20+ digs in seven matches with a career-best 31 against Michigan Tech.

On the outside, NMU will look for several returners to step up into an even larger role. Juniors Helen Beiring and Kaysie Bakke each recorded over 100 kills last season, while Rayne Thompson, Madison York, KC Fortune, and Sydney Bartels also return with plenty of opportunity ahead of them.  

Entering his ninth season guiding the Northern program, Lozier brings a 132-88 (.600) overall record into the 2025 campaign. Kam Duffield will accompany Lozier on the Wildcat bench for the third straight season, while five-year standout student-athlete Lauren Van Remortel has been brought on for her first full year as an assistant coach. 


A Look at the Opponents
Wheeling University
The Cardinals finished 27-11 in 2024, winning a pair of matches in the NCAA Tournament to make the Sweet 16. Wheeling is receiving votes in the AVCA Preseason Poll and has been picked to win the Mountain East Conference (MEC) North Division. Despite losing 10 players, the Cardinals return two All-Conference players in middle hitter Katie Wilking and outside hitter Olivia Batch.

Spring Hill College
The Badgers claimed a 24-8 record in 2024 and made an NCAA Tournament appearance. Spring Hill has been at the pinnacle of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), winning six-straight tournament titles. They've been picked to repeat as SIAC West Division champions. Libero Ashlyn Whiteside has been picked as the SIAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. 

Southwest Minnesota State University
The Mustangs went 23-6 in 2024, making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. SMSU has high expectations this year, being ranked No. 15 in the AVCA Preseason Poll. The Mustangs are experienced, returning 12 letter winners from its 2024 team, including senior libero McKenzie Tolk, who is an NSIC Preseason Player to Watch and AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. 

University of West Florida
The Argos went 27-6 in 2024 and made the NCAA Tournament. West Florida went a perfect 20-0 in Gulf Sun Conference (GSN) action last year in route to a regular season and tournament championships. They've been picked to win the conference again, with Gabi Moulton, Emily Breazeale, Kumara Flanagain, and newcomer Aniston Cochran all earning preseason GSC recognition. West Florida is receiving votes in the AVCA Preseason Poll.