Courtesy of Midland Athletics
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) announced its 2023 Preseason Coaches’ Poll today. Midland University was selected fourth in the ultra-competitive conference behind defending national champion University of Jamestown and national tournament participants Concordia University and Northwestern College.
The Warriors finished last year with a record of 28-6 which included a run to the NAIA National Semifinals for the fourth time in program history. They’ll have some shoes to fill with the graduation of NAIA All-Americans Taliyah Flores and Hope Leimbach along with five-year starter Brooke Fredrickson. Head coach Paul Giesselmann has brought in another solid group of newcomers to add to the team’s core of returners which includes two all-conference members (Abbey Ringler and Delanie Vallinch) as well as an honorable mention (Addisyn Mosier).
“I’m really looking forward to this season,” commented Coach Giesselmann. “We graduated three great players so there’s an opportunity for others to step up and show what they are capable of doing. With the GPAC this season, there are some of the nation’s best teams in the conference. The three teams in front of us are all top-five caliber teams. I’m excited about the opportunity for our team this year. It’s a matter of if we can find the right pieces in the right places, then see how well they perform under pressure.”
Midland will start the season with a non-conference match against York University on Tuesday, August 22 before hosting one of the premier early-season showcases. The Warriors will host The Midland Showdown on August 24-26 with some of the best teams in the NAIA competing. Corban University, Grand View University, Missouri Baptist University, and Viterbo University will join MU for a round-robin classic over three days.
The Warriors will also compete in the Labor Day Classic in North Sioux City, South Dakota with matches against The Master’s University, Rocky Mountain College, and Park University. Conference action gets underway a few days prior with a road trip to face Doane University on August 30.
The 2023 GPAC Volleyball season will consist of 16 conference matches with 12 teams competing for the conference crown. For a complete look at the 2023 Midland Volleyball Schedule, click here.
Area fans wanting to meet the team can attend the MU Volleyball Community Meet event next Monday at the Fremont Golf Club. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with comments from coaches and players starting at approximately 7:00 p.m.
