The Northern Sun Conference released the Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Poll on Thursday, and the Peacocks are picked to finish eleventh in the poll. Upper Iowa finished in 10th place in the powerhouse NSIC conference in 2016. The Peacocks went 13-16 overall and 7-13 in the Northern Sun. UIU dropped all nine matches against AVCA Top 25 teams during the season, but posted a 13-7 record against all other opponents.
 
For the 14th consecutive season the Concordia University, St. Paul Golden Bears have been picked by the league coaches. The Golden Bears are coming off a season in which they won a share of the NSIC regular season title, the NSIC Tournament Championship and the NCAA National Championship (their eighth in the last ten years). CSP received 10 first place votes to tally 218 points.

Southwest Minnesota State, which shared the NSIC regular season title with CSP last year, was picked second as the Mustangs received 202 points and three first place votes. Minnesota Duluth was picked third in the poll with 201 points and a pair of first place votes while Augustana was fourth with 172 points and one first place vote.
 
Head Coach Aaron Nelson will bring a young, but experienced muster of Peacocks into the 2017 season. Senior Ashley Larson (Libero) was named a NSIC Player to Watch after leading the back line defense with 422 digs in 2016. Nine letter winners from the 2016 campaign are set to return with Larson being the only senior in the group. Haley Poula (So./OH) and Anna Winter (So./OH) combined for 279 kills as freshmen last season; Poula was named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week once in 2016. A pair of setters will return to pace the attack for UIU; Malissa LeClaire (Jr.) and Carlee Ketchum (So.) handed out 577 and 384 assists, respectively. Bethany Lovhaug (Jr.) registered 80 blocks and 110 kills on the season, while Gabby Holmes (So./DS/204 digs), Haley Weepie (So./OH/69 kills) and Lauren Wombles (Jr./MH/54 kills/23 blocks) all made solid contributions on the floor.
 
Upper Iowa will open their season on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 1-2, at the Ferris State Inviational in Big Rapids, Mich. The Peacocks will face Quincy University, Grand Valley State University, Northern Michigan University and Davenport University in the weekend opener.
 
After a pair of tournaments on the road to open the season, the Peacocks will begin play in the NSIC at Concordia University, St. Paul before their first home match in Dorman Gym on Sept. 16 against Minnesota State University, Mankato.
 

2017 NSIC Volleyball Preseason Poll	Points
1. Concordia-St. Paul (10)	218
2. Southwest Minnesota State (3)	202
3. Minnesota Duluth (2)	201
4. Augustana (1)	172
5. Winona State	171
6. Wayne State	157
7. Sioux Falls	146
8. Northern State	133
9. Minnesota State	113
10. MSU Moorhead	77
11. Upper Iowa	74
12. Minnesota Crookston	71
13. St. Cloud State	70
14. UMary	54
15. Bemidji State	46
16. Minot State	15
first place votes in ( )

 
The 2017 NSIC Volleyball season will begin with non-conference matches on Thursday, August 31 while the NSIC schedule begins Thursday, September 14.  The 2017 NSIC regular season champion will be determined by the 20-game conference schedule. The top eight teams will play in the single elimination NSIC Volleyball Tournament on November 15, 18-19. Quarterfinals will be hosted on campus by the top four seeds while the semifinals and championship will be hosted by the highest remaining seed following the first round of play.