Practices have already been intense for the Northern State volleyball team, and now the Wolves are ready to embark on the upcoming season.
Northern beefed up its non-conference schedule this year to help its build its resume and also get ready for life in the rugged Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, arguably the toughest league in NCAA Division II.
“Our conference is strong, but you have to go outside of conference and play good teams,” said Northern coach Brent Aldridge. “This year, hopefully we didn’t outkick our coverage. I think our kids like that. They would rather go play really hard competition and win, and prepare for the conference.”
The Wolves start out the year with tournaments in Colorado and Missouri before returning home to open the NSIC slate with a match against Crookston on Sept. 11.
“I like the kids that we’ve got on our team, that we’re training now,” Aldridge said.
Gone are three all-conference players from a year ago, but back are several starters plus the return of past starters Victoria Persha and Morissen Samuels, who both sat out last year with injuries.
“We look different last year if those two are healthy,” Aldridge said.
As a result, the injuries impacted the team’s depth a year ago.
“We don’t stockpile people like Duke basketball,” Aldridge said.
What the Wolves have are athletic players who are forced to bring it every day, regardless of practices or matches.
“One, you’ve got to be vertical, and two, you have to be just absolutely competitive or you won’t make it with me. … I tell kids all the time, you have to compete daily or just don’t come here,” Aldridge said.
Northern will be led by sophomore setter Ava Nilsson, who orchestrates a potent offense.
“Ava is the number one setter, assist-wise, in the conference and number two in the nation going into this year,” Aldridge said.
Katelyn Schroeder and Linnea Nesheim will return to the front row. Sara Moberg, Ashley Jost and Cara Cyr are also key returning members.
Still, the Wolves will be without graduated seniors Abby Brooks, Natalia Szybinska, and All-American Libero Abby Schauer.
“We look decidedly different when you look at the pieces we lost,” Aldridge.
If anything, the Wolves might play a tad quicker than they have in the past.
“We’re kind of the same,” Aldridge said, “probably a little faster to the pin with Katelyn and Linnea.”
Plus, a bit taller with Samuels returning to the lineup.
“Getting that size back on the right side is going to be huge for us,” Aldridge said.
Aldridge said practices have been a “bit of a war” as players battle for top spots on the team.
Northern will try to piece together an impressive resume in order to help its chances of gaining a berth in the regional tournament.
“Our goal is to put ourself in a position to get chosen. It’s been a hot minute since we got chosen,” Aldridge said, pointing out the team’s best last shot came in 2024. “I thought we had a shot. We beat enough people. We were winning at the end of the year. I thought we legitimately did enough to get in, and we didn’t, so we’ve got to go be better.”
And when you compete in the NSIC, being better means for weeks on end, not just one weekend of action.
“The girls make goals of course every year and every year it changes,” Aldridge said, “but if you want to make a run, you have to be good, and you have to be good over a long period of time.”
