MARQUETTE, Mich. – The 2026 volleyball season is just around the corner, and the Northern Michigan Wildcats have been picked to finish fourth in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll, announced by the conference on Monday.
Northern Michigan finished third in the GLIAC standings in 2025 after posting a 12-4 conference record. Ferris State was selected as the preseason favorite, receiving nine of the 11 first-place votes. Grand Valley State received the remaining two first-place votes and was picked second, followed by Wayne State, Northern Michigan and Parkside to round out the top five.
2026 GLIAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Ferris State, 99 (9)
2. Grand Valley State, 90 (2)
3. Wayne State, 78
4. Northern Michigan, 73
5. Parkside, 69
6. Davenport, 52
7. Michigan Tech, 49
8. Purdue Northwest, 34
9. Saginaw Valley State, 32
10. Lake Superior State, 16
11. Roosevelt, 13
Northern lost five players from last year's roster, including All-GLIAC First Team selection
McKenzie Gruner. The Wildcats will look to offset those losses with four freshmen and transfer
Cece Huizingh, who have joined the roster for the 2026 season.
Northern returns 14 of the 19 players from the 2025 team, including All-GLIAC Second Team selections
Allie Barlow and
Liesl Haugen.
Barlow, a senior setter from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, recorded 1,088 assists and averaged 10.06 assists per set in 2025, with both marks ranking second in the GLIAC. She enters her senior season with 2,560 career assists, placing her among the top 10 in program history.
Haugen, a senior libero from Maple Grove, Minnesota, is coming off one of the top defensive seasons in the conference. A three-time GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week, Haugen recorded at least 20 digs in 12 of 24 matches and finished second in the GLIAC with 4.98 digs per set while ranking seventh with 0.40 aces per set.
Along the net, seniors
Kaysie Bakke,
Helen Beiring and
Sydney Bartels, junior
Madison York, and sophomore
Kaylie McIntosh all return with valuable experience. Defensively,
Lauren Cardwell and
Taylor Smaka provide additional depth after appearing in most matches a season ago.
Five other returners will look to step into larger roles this season, while the five newcomers round out a roster that features valuable depth throughout the lineup.
Head coach
Mike Lozier enters his 10th season at the helm in 2026, with the Wildcats looking to build on last season's third-place finish while integrating a mix of experienced returners and newcomers.
Fans will get their first opportunity to see the Wildcats at the UP North Volleyball Tournament this weekend. From Aug. 27-29, Vandament Arena will host 12 matches featuring seven teams. Northern Michigan will play a pair of matches on Thursday, Aug. 27, taking on Winona State at 2:30 p.m. before facing St. Cloud State at 6:30 p.m.
