There seems to be an extra ultra-competitive layer among the top teams in DII women’s volleyball. It’s evident when you see there has been four No. 1 teams in the first five AVCA Coaches’ Polls thus far in the 2021 season, a trend that has been similar the past few seasons. These student-athletes leave it all on the floor, driven by a fierce instinct to win at all costs.
RANKINGS: The latest AVCA Coaches poll
But what happens when that competitive gene is on the same team? They say your team is your family, and for Nebraska-Kearney and Western Washington — that is exactly what it is.
Coach Squiers keeps it in the family at UNK
Rick Squiers entered the 2021 season as the second winningest coach in DII women’s volleyball history behind a remarkable 882-149 record. His Lopers also entered the season coming off a national runner-up finish in 2019 with a team that finished 38-1.
His daughters Anna and Maddie earned All-American honors on that team.
“Growing up around Lopers’ volleyball and seeing the success and what [their father, Rick Squiers] has done here made Maddie and I want to be a part of it,” Anna said. “It’s super special.”
It’s nothing new for the Lopers’ head coach. His daughter Jordan played volleyball under him as well, another daughter Rebecca played basketball for Rockhurst, and his son David played football in Kearney.
There’s all you need for a DII starting five in the Squiers’ household.
“It was pretty competitive all the time,” Maddie Squiers said of growing up part of the Squiers’ clan. “Growing up and getting to go to all the UNK volleyball games and being surrounded by all the athletics was a lot of fun.”
The competitive edge has never gone away. As Anna puts it, they sometimes butt heads.
“They both have different personality types,” Coach Squiers added with a chuckle. “Maddie is a little more outwardly competitive, but I know that Anna is inwardly very competitive. I’ve taken a page from their high school coaches to not pit them against each other. I’ve heard going back to basketball practices they weren’t allowed to guard each other. So, most of the time they are on the same side of the net.”
The Lopers had big plans in 2020. One year after falling one game short of that elusive…
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