THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK VOLLEYBALL
Upper Iowa volleyball opens its season at the Maverick Invite in Mankato, Minn., facing four recognizable opponents Thursday through Saturday. They take on the hosts, Minnesota State, on Thursday at 7 p.m., followed by two matches on Friday against UW Parkside (10 a.m.) and Minnesota State Moorhead (2 p.m.), concluding the tournament against Northern Michigan on Saturday at 10 a.m.
LIVE OPTIONS
Fans unable to make it to Mankato, Minn. for the games in person have several options to follow along with all the action. Live stats and a webcast are available through links at UIUPeacocks.com/Live. In addition, the game can be streamed through most mobile devices at https://nsicnetwork.com/msumavericks/ or through the NSIC Network app on Roku and Amazon Fire devices, as well as Apple and Android televisions.
GLVC PRESEASON POLL
Upper Iowa volleyball was chosen to finish eighth in the GLVC preseason coaches' poll, earning 81 votes. They came in five votes shy of seventh, as Missouri S&T edged out the Peacocks and garnered 86 votes, respectively.
Lewis University was voted in the preseason coaches' poll as the choice to win the 2024 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) volleyball title, the league office announced on Wednesday. The preseason poll is selected by the league's head coaches, who, per GLVC Bylaws, are not permitted to vote for their own team.
RUN IT BACK
UIU volleyball returns a plethora of experience in all positions. At the forefront of the group are two All-GLVC honorees in the form of middle
Zoe Semelroth and setter
Nicole Pozorski, who are aided by five other Peacocks who played in 20 or more matches last season. Semelroth led the team last season in kills with 340 (3.21 per set) and service aces with 46. Pozorski collected 9.64 assists per set and was second in services aces with 31.
NEARING 3,000
Pozorski has tallied 2,904 assists during her time at Upper Iowa, with 1,031 accumulated last season. The senior sits 96 assists away from hitting the 3,000 mark and another 218 away from being second in the record books for most assists in a career. She currently trails Malissa LeClaire (2015-18), who compiled 3,122, and Keri Vance (2006-09), who sits atop the standings with 3,833.
NEW TUTELAGE
The squad will be under new guidance with Head Coach Jim Dietz and Assistant Coach Sarah Stevelinck, both in their first season at UIU.
Most recently, Dietz dedicated 16 seasons at the forefront of the Lincoln Land Community College's volleyball program, compiling an overall 530-200 record. He was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2022 to punctuate his tenure with the Loggers. During his 16-year run, Dietz boasted 14 NJCAA All-Americans, two AVCA All-Americans and seven MWAC Freshman of the Year selections. The Lincoln Land Community College volleyball program was the NJCAA National Runner Ups in 2015 and 2016, while notching third place in 2017 and eighth in 2018.
Stevelinck played for the UIU volleyball program as a libero from 2020-22, appearing in 166 sets over 49 matches. A native of Lyons, Colorado, Stevelinck graduated from Upper Iowa in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in exercise and sports studies and a master's degree in sports administration.
DOWN THE ROAD
The Peacocks have their next contest in Winona, Minn. against the Winona State Warriors on Tuesday, Sep. 10 at 6 p.m.
