HOME GLIAC OPENER
• Michigan Tech hosts its first GLIAC home matches of the season.
• The Huskies play No. 1 Ferris State on Friday at 6 p.m. at the SDC Gym.
• Tech wraps up the weekend against Davenport at 4 p.m.
• The Black and Gold are 5-5 overall and 1-1 in the GLIAC.
• It's Alumni Weekend and a number of former Huskies will be back in Houghton to support the Huskies.
 
ON THE RADIO
• Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ broadcasts home Michigan Tech volleyball matches and will be on the air for Friday's contest.
• Fans can listen live on the radio at Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ, online at mix93.fm or Pasty.com, or by using your favorite radio streaming app.

WATCH THE MATCHES
• All four matches will be streamed on FloCollege. All home and 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.
 
GLIAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Keeley Nellis is the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week.
• Nellis led the Huskies with 47 digs last weekend, averaging 5.22 digs per set. She tallied 25 digs at Davenport on Friday and 22 in a win at Saginaw Valley State on Saturday.
• Nellis ranks second in the GLIAC in total digs (179) and fifth in digs per set (4.16). She has hit the 20-dig plateau five times in 2026.

LAST TIME OUT
• Tech splits its GLIAC-opening weekend on the road. Davenport won 3-2 on Friday, and the Huskies defeated Saginaw Valley State 3-1 on Saturday.
• Rachel Zurek led the offense with 4.22 kills per set, Madelynn Kreider set the attack with 10 assists per set, and Keeley Nellis led the defense with 5.22 digs per set.
 
GLIAC STATISTICAL RANKING
• Rachel Zurek leads in kills per set (4.26).
• Madelynn Kreider is second in assists per set (9.95).
• Keeley Nellis is fifth in digs per set (4.16).

SCOUTING FSU
• Ferris State is 11-0 overall and 3-0 in GLIAC action. All matches have been 3-0 sweeps except for the GLIAC-opening match against Parkside.
• The Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 in the AVCA Poll.
• Gabby Piazza leads the team with 4.15 kills per set, Hayley Wegener sets the offense with 10.97 assists per set, and Hope Davies averages 4.11 digs per set.
• FSU was the top pick in the GLIAC Preseason Poll after going 27-8 overall last season and 13-3 in the GLIAC and advancing to the Elite Eight.
 
SCOUTING DU
• Davenport is 8-1 overall and 2-0 in the GLIAC. The Panthers have won eight straight and are 2-0 on the road. The lone loss was to Ashland.
• Abby Alan leads the team with 3.03 kills per set, Keira Dommer averages 6.26 assists per set, and Hayley Carr averages 4.06 digs per set.
• The Panthers were picked sixth in the GLIAC Preseason Poll after going 13-15 overall last season and 9-7 in the GLIAC.
 
FIRST MEETING WITH DU
• Tech fell 3-2 at Davenport on Sept. 11. The Panthers won 25-20, 22-25, 18-25, 25-21, and 15-10 in the GLIAC opener for both teams.
• Kayla Heinonen tallied a season-high 16 kills to lead the Huskies offense while adding nine digs. Rachel Zurek added 13 kills. Madelynn Kreider set the attack with 45 assists and added 11 digs. Keeley Nellis recorded a match-high 25 digs.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
• The Huskies travel to Northern Michigan (Sept. 22) and Wayne State (Sept. 25) next weekend to wrap up the first month of the season.
• Tech welcomes Lake Superior State (Oct. 2) and Purdue Northwest (Oct. 3) the following weekend to the SDC Gym.
 
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