HOME COOKING
• Michigan Tech returns home to host a pair of GLIAC matches at the SDC Gym.
• The Huskies host Lake Superior State at 4 p.m. on Friday
• The weekend wraps up against Purdue Northwest on Saturday at noon.
• The Black and Gold are 7-7 overall and 3-3 in the GLIAC.

WATCH THE MATCHES
• All GLIAC matches are streamed on FloCollege.
• Michigan Tech fans can watch all home and conference games in volleyball, basketball, football, and soccer with one subscription.
• FloCollege provides each subscriber with access to all content and events with the purchase of a monthly or yearly subscription.
• Subscriptions are offered in two different billing packages - monthly and annual.
• Discounts are available for students enrolled at GLIAC member and associate member institutions. You must subscribe with a .edu email address to be eligible.
• FloCollege is available on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast.
 
MILESTONE MARKS
• On Oct. 22 at Northern Michigan, Rachel Zurek became the 12th player in program history to tally 1,000 kills. She ranks 10th all-time at Tech with 1,041 kills.
• On Oct. 25 in a sweep at Wayne State, Amelia Albers became the 14th player in program history to tally 1,000 digs. She averages over 3.01 digs per set for her career, which ranks 12th all-time at Tech.
 
GLIAC POW
• Rachel Zurek is the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week.
• She averaged 5.25 kills per set while hitting .362 in a pair of matches last week.
• She tallied 24 kills and hit .340 at Northern Michigan on Tuesday and added 18 kills while hitting .390 in a sweep at Wayne State on Friday.
• Zurek leads the GLIAC with 244 kills and ranks second in kills per set, averaging 4.28.

LAST TIME OUT
• Tech splits its week on the road, falling in five at Northern Michigan on Tuesday and sweeping Wayne State in Detroit on Friday.
• Rachel Zurek led the offense with 5.25 kills per set, Madelynn Kreider set the attack with 11.25 assists per set, and Kayla Heinonen led the defense with 3.38 digs per set.
 
GLIAC STATISTICAL RANKING
• Rachel Zurek is second in kills per set (4.28).
• Madelynn Kreider is third in assists per set (10.14).
• Keeley Nellis is seventh in digs per set (3.95).
 
NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKING
• Rachel Zurek is sixth in total kills (244) and eighth in kills per set (4.28).
• Madelynn Kreider is 12th in total assists (578).

SCOUTING LSSU
• Lake Superior State is 3-11 overall and 0-6 in the GLIAC. The three victories were over Central State, Kentucky State, and Salem.
• Elisa Rizzoli leads the Lakers with 2.60 kills per set and 3.55 digs per set. Azra Bilgicer sets the attack at 4.57 assists per set.
• LSSU was picked 10th in the GLIAC Preseason Poll after going 1-22 overall and 1-15 in the GLIAC in 2025.
 
SCOUTING PNW
• Purdue Northwest is 2-12 overall and 0-7 in the GLIAC. The two wins are over Illinois Springfield and Nova Southeastern.
• Anika Huelskamp leads the offense with 2.30 kills per set, Addison Smith sets the attack with 4.88 assists per set, and Giana Frayer leads the defense, averaging 2.17 digs per set.
• The Lions were picked eighth in the GLIAC Preseason Poll after going 13-13 overall in 2025 with a 7-9 conference record.
 
GLIAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Sept. 14 – Keeley Nellis – GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week
• Sept. 28 – Rachel Zurek – GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
• The Huskies travel to Parkside (Oct. 9) and Purdue Northwest (Oct. 10) next weekend.
• The annual Midwest Regional Crossover is Oct. 16-17 back in Hammond where the Huskies will play their final three non-conference matches.
• The final part of the schedule begins at Grand Valley State (Oct. 23) and Roosevelt (Oct. 24).
 
MVP OF MOUNTAIN LION CLASSIC
• Senior outside hitter Rachel Zurek was named the MVP of the UCCS Mountain Lion Classic.
• Zurek averaged 4.17 kills per set in the four matches while hitting .268. She tallied 17 kills in a five-set loss to UCCS, 17 kills in a five-set victory over St. Edward's, a career-best 24 kills in a five-set loss to South Dakota Mines, and 17 kills in a sweep of Midwestern State. Zurek added 11 digs and four block assists on the weekend.
 
UP NORTH ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
• Senior outside hitter Rachel Zurek was named to the UP North All-Tournament Team.
• Zurek averaged 4.38 kills per set while hitting .275 during the opening weekend of play.
• She tallied 16 kills against Minnesota Duluth, 23 versus St. Cloud State, 14 in three sets against Cal State East Bay, and 17 in a sweep of Winona State. Zurek added five solo blocks, three block assists, and three digs.

HALL OF FAMER
• Sara (Nash) Hurley will be inducted into the Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame in October.
• She was a middle blocker for the volleyball Huskies from 1991-94.
• Tech went 81-53 over her four seasons and 57-10 over the final two seasons, twice going to the NCAA Tournament as regional finalists and winning the GLIAC Regular Season and GLIAC Tournament in 1994.
• Nash received AVCA All-Region and All-GLIAC Second Team honors in 1994.
• She ranks fourth in career blocks (398) and fifth in career blocks per game (0.97).
 
COACH PINDRAL
• Cindy Pindral begins her second season as Head Coach after being named to the position on December 2, 2024.
• Pindral returned to the Huskies after being an Assistant Head Coach, Assistant Coach, and Volunteer Coach with the Huskies for seven seasons from 2016 to 2022.
• During her seven years with the Huskies, the team held a 139-62 overall record. Tech went to four straight NCAA Tournaments from 2017-21 and won a pair of regular-season GLIAC championships in the spring of 2021 and then repeated in the fall of 2021.
• As a freshman student-athlete at the University of Florida, Pindral was the starting setter for the Gators who went to the NCAA Sweet 16, won an SEC Championship, and were ranked as high as No. 10.
• She finished her collegiate career as a three-time starter at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She was an Academic All-American and All-RMAC selection.
 
ABOUT THE HUSKIES
• The Huskies return 10 student-athletes from 2025, with four who earned All-GLIAC honors.
• The Black and Gold welcome seven newcomers, with six freshmen and a transfer.
 
PRESEASON GLIAC 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

LAST SEASON
• Tech finished the 2025 season with a 12-16 overall record.
• The Huskies went 9-7 in the GLIAC to tie for fifth overall and were the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament.
• The Black and Gold were 6-3 at the SDC.

ALL-GLIAC RETURNERS
• Rachel Zurek – 2025 & 2024 All-GLIAC Second Team, 2023 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention
• Paige Wagner – 2025 & 2024 All-GLIAC Second Team
• Madelynn Kreider – 2025 All-GLIAC Second Team
• Tricia Kennedy – 2025 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention
 
NCAA D1 TRANSFER ON ROSTER
• Keeley Nellis – Lamar University