The University of Minnesota Duluth Volleyball Team opens the 2026 season at the UP North Tournament at Vandament Arena in Marquette, Mich. The Bulldogs will face Michigan Tech in their season-opener Thursday at 4 p.m., before taking on Cal State East Bay and host Northern Michigan in a doubleheader at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., respectively, Friday. The Maroon and Gold will close out play at the event Saturday against Tiffin University at 10:30 a.m. 

UMD IN SEASON-OPENERS: UMD is 34-2 in season-opening matches and 74-6 on opening weekend dating back to 2006. The Bulldogs have won five-straight opening day matches, with its last loss coming at the hands of Michigan Tech (3-0) in 2001 at the Michigan Tech Tournament in Houghton, Mich.  

2025 SEASON RECAP: The Bulldogs concluded the 2025 campaign with an 18-10 overall record and an 11-9 mark in the North Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Four players were named to the All-NSIC Second Team, including Madeline Guetzkow, Ava Jones, Paige Decker and Kylie Broten. 

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS: UMD was picked to finish seventh in the NSIC as voted by the league's head coaches. The Bulldogs received 143 points, three points ahead of eighth-place selection Northern State. Concordia St. Paul was picked to finish first with 220 points, including 11 first-place votes. 

PLAYER TO WATCH: Senior right side hitter Madeline Guetzkow was named UMD's Player to Watch by the NSIC entering the 2026 season. She led the team with averages of 3.77 points and 3.09 kills per set as a junior, and added six double-doubles. 

EXPERIENCED BULLDOGS: The Bulldogs return 15 letterwinners from their 2025 squad, including seven players who saw action in at least 75 sets and two who saw action in all 104 sets - junior Ava Jones and senior Madison Reed.  

COUNTDOWN TO 2K: After a breakout sophomore campaign where she earned All-Big Ten Second Team accolades and ranked among the top setters in the nation, Ava Jones enters her junior year just 337 assists away from 2,000 assists for her career. She averaged 11.19 assists per set in 2025, a mark that ranked ninth in NCAA Division II. 

THREE AWAY FROM 500: Senior Madison Reed needs just three digs to secure the 500th dig of her career. The libero sits at 497 career digs entering the weekend. 

CLOSING IN ON WIN 600: Head coach Jim Boos enters his 25th season at the helm of the UMD volleyball team with a 587-143 career record. The skipper is just 13 wins away from securing milestone win No. 600 and becoming just the 11th active NCAA Division II women's volleyball head coach to win 600 games. His .804 career winning percentage ranks fifth among active DII head coaches. 

SCOUTING MICHIGAN TECH: The Huskies closed out the 2025 season with a 12-16 overall record and a 9-7 GLIAC mark under first-year head coach Cindy Pindral. Coach Pindral enters her second year at the helm with a healthy mix of returners and newcomers. She returns All-GLIAC selections sophomore setter Madelynn Kreider, junior middle blocker Paige Wagner, senior outside hitter Rachel Zurek and senior middle blocker Tricia Kennedy. The Huskies also added Division I transfer DS/L Keeley Nellis and signed six freshmen.

SCOUTING CAL STATE EAST BAY: The Pioneers concluded the 2025 season with a 14-14 overall record and a 10-8 CCAA mark. They return three all-conference selections, including CCAA Libero of the Year and first-team selection Kale'a Kuamo'o, first-team pick outside hitter Barakat Adekola and honorable mention pick setter Pi'ilani Carvalho. Cal State East Bay welcomes six freshmen, Division I transfer outside hitter Saniya Kimbrough (Long Island University) and two additional tranfers in Carys Fouser (University of Hawaii Hilo) and Gabrielle Casino (Loyola New Orleans). 

SCOUTING NORTHERN MICHIGAN: The Wildcats return 14 of 19 players from their 2025 season in which they posted a 15-14 overall record and a 12-4 GLIAC record, good for third in league standings. NMU returns two all-conference selections in setter Allie Barlow and libero Liesl Haugen. It also welcomes four freshmen and transfer Cece Huizingh (Grand Rapids CC). 

SCOUTING TIFFIN UNIVERSITY: The Dragons return All-G-MAC selection middle blocker Katelyn Owens from a team that posted an 11-13 overall record and a 6-9 league clip. Tiffin and second-year head coach Cary Clark welcome six freshmen the the 2026 Dragon squad. 

UMD VS. UP NORTH TOURNAMENT OPPONENTS: The Bulldogs are a combined 66-25 all-time vs. their opponents at the UP North Tournament. Here's the breakdown:

vs. Michigan Tech: 34-9 (last meeting, 2025)
vs. Cal State East Bay: First Meeting
vs. Northern Michigan: 32-16 (last meeting, 2025)
vs. Tiffin: First Meeting

ROOKIE TO WATCH: UMD's lone rookie Kenzie Kiminski hails from Floodwood, Minn. She was named the Duluth News Tribune All-Area Volleyball Player of the Year in 2025 after posting 486 kills and a .438 hitting percentage at Floodwood High School. She finished her prep career with 1,745 kills and 1,360 digs. 

IN THE POLLS: The Bulldogs open the 2026 season receiving nine votes in the AVCA-Taraflex Division II Preseason Poll.