Long streak of success
NMU volleyball earns AVCA Team Academic Award for 18th straight year
From left, Northern Michigan University’s McKenzie Gruner and Kaysie Bakke block a shot by Wisconsin-Parkside’s Sam Fisch during a GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal volleyball match played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Nov. 19. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)
Northern Michigan University’s Kaysie Bakke, right, is excited about a point scored by teammate Madison York, left, as she comes back onto the court during a GLIAC volleyball match played against Davenport at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
From left, Northern Michigan University’s McKenzie Gruner and Kaysie Bakke block a shot by Wisconsin-Parkside’s Sam Fisch during a GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal volleyball match played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Nov. 19. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)
Northern Michigan University’s Kaysie Bakke, right, is excited about a point scored by teammate Madison York, left, as she comes back onto the court during a GLIAC volleyball match played against Davenport at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
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MARQUETTE -- The volleyball team at Northern Michigan University has kept one of the longest streaks in the nation going by again being named to the Team Academic Award list by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
The Wildcats made this list for the 19th straight season as told by NMU Sports Information and shown on the AVCA website at www.avca.org.
This is the fifth longest streak of years being honored consecutively in NCAA Division II, with Wayne State College of Nebraska holding the longest streak at 24 years. The overall longest collegiate streak is 28 years held by both Division I Indiana State and NAIA's Concordia (Nebraska) Community College, both women's teams.
The AVCA also put out lists of men's and women's teams at other NCAA levels, NAIA, National Christian College Athletic Association, beach volleyball, and high school teams for both boys and girls.
To earn the award, a team must maintain a year-long team grade-point average of at least 3.30 on a 4.00 scale as 1,432 college and high school teams did so to earn the distinction.
The Wildcats easily met this standard, compiling a 3.79 GPA by the end of winter semester, with seven student-athletes earning a perfect 4.00 GPA and 13 of them on GLIAC All-Academic and All-Academic Excellence Teams.
That group of 13 is Lyvia Misegades, Taylor Smaka, Allie Barlow, KC Fortune, Lauren Cardwell, Kaysie Bakke, Madison York, Aydan Dalak, Sydney Bartels, McKenzie Gruner, Helen Beiring, Liesl Haugen and Emilia Gulock.
The only other schools exceeding NMU's length of consecutive years in D-II are Concordia-St. Paul of Minnesota and Central Missouri with 23 each, and Findlay of Ohio with 21. Concordia-St. Paul is a current associate member of the Wildcats' Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in a limited number of sports, while Findlay is a past full member of the league.
Matching Northern with 19 consecutive years are Southwest Minnesota State, Rockhurst of Missouri, Florida Southern and Adelphi of New York, while just short of these schools with 18 years are past GLIAC member Ohio Dominican along with Montevallo of Alabama.
On the court, NMU posted records of 12-4 in the GLIAC and 15-14 overall in 2025 to earn the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament under head coach Mike Lozier, who begins his 10th season with the Wildcats this fall.
Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the award. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.