DETROIT -- The 2025 edition of the Wayne State University volleyball program is ready to begin its fall campaign. The Warriors will kick off their season at home inside the Matthaei Center as part of the Warrior Invitational on Friday-Saturday, Sept. 5-6. WSU will host a total of nine matches and play in four of them for the two-day event.
"We're looking forward to the Warrior Invitational and hosting four great opponents," said the Green and Gold's 12th-year head coach,
Tim Koth. "It should be a great weekend of volleyball and we're looking forward to seeing people back in the stands at the Matthaei."
Starting with
Upper Iowa, fourth-year member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), also in the NCAA's Midwest Region. The Peacocks went 10-17 overall a season ago and 2-11 in conference, but ended the fall on a six-match skid. Coached by second-year leader Jim Dietz, UIU was picked to finish 12th out of 14 squads in the league's preseason coaches poll. Upper Iowa returns multiple team leaders from 2024, the first of which is senior outside hitter Lydia Imbrogno, who led the team in service aces, was second in kills (152), and second in digs (248). Imbrogno also placed top five on the team in both blocks (24) and assists (38). The Peacocks also brought back redshirt junior libero McKenna Diermeier, who led the team in digs (424) and was second in assists (63). Gradute outside Martha Pace returns after finishing fourth in digs (165) and fifth in assists (21).
Next up is former Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) foe and now member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC),
Northwood. The Timberwolves, 21-8 overall and 12-3 in the conference last fall, are coached by 10th-year leader and 2024 G-MAC Coach of the Year, David Shumaker (117-126 overall in previous 11 seasons). This season, NU was selected to finish third of four in the North Division of the league's preseason coaches poll, which also contains a four-team South and five-squad East. Also back is senior setter Renee Brines. A three-time All-G-MAC honoree, Brines ended 2024 with 1,054 assists, good for 10.13 per set. That total ranked third in the G-MAC. She also added 70 kills, 211 digs and 24 aces for the season. She has 3,270 assists for her career, good for eighth in program history.
Cedarville (14-11 overall, 10-5 G-MAC in 2024) was predicted to repeat as G-MAC South Division Champions under eighth-year head coach Greg Smith (91-87 overall in previous seven seasons). Outside hitter Madelyn Hensley and middle hitter Janae Heegaard, both named All-G-MAC for the second year in a row last fall, are back for their junior and senior campaigns, respectively. Hensley, First Team in 2023 and 2024 as well as 2023 G-MAC Freshman of the Year, led the conference in kills per set at 4.01. She also ranked fourth with 397 total points to her name. Heegaard (two-time Second Teamer) averaged 2.19 kills with a .314 attack percentage, which ranked sixth in the league, and tied-for-third in the G-MAC at 1.03 blocks per set.
Last but certainly not least is
Winona State out of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), 18-12 overall and 11-7 in conference action last fall. Coached by Kristine Pelky in her first season at the helm, the Warriors were picked to finish seventh in the 16-team league. Pelky, who has been on the Warriors staff since 2019, helped lead WSU to three NSIC tournament appearances and a program best 28-5 record in 2021. Each of the 16 programs had one "Player to Watch" and Abby Ongna was Winona State's. Ongna, a sophomore outside, appeared in 14 matches as a rookie with 18 kills and one assist registered.
The Warrior Invitational's entire schedule can be found at the link above as well as live links, ticket information, each team's roster and 2024 stats, and more. Friday and Saturday will mark the 10th installment of the Warrior Invitational, of which WSU has gone 23-8 in the previous nine.
