Set Up for Success: Peyton Neff takes on leadership role for UNK volleyball

UNK setter Peyton Neff, left, and assistant coach Maddie Squiers chat before a recent match at the Health and Sports Center. Neff has been learning from Squiers since they were teammates in 2021. (Photo by Erika Pritchard, UNK Communications)

KEARNEY – Peyton Neff is an unquestioned leader for the University of Nebraska at Kearney volleyball team.

One of the most experienced players on this year’s roster, the North Platte native has learned to embrace her role as a team captain.

“Being a setter, I feel like that leadership aspect is important, no matter what age you are,” Neff said. “That’s something that Maddie helped me recognize early on.”

Maddie Squiers is an assistant coach for the third-ranked Lopers, someone who’s built a trusting relationship with Neff over the past three years and played a key part in her development.

“Whenever coach (Rick) Squiers really wants something out of Peyton, he kind of goes through me,” Squiers said of her father, who’s led the UNK volleyball program since 1999. “He gives me a lot of feedback to give to Peyton. And Peyton feels comfortable coming to me with questions.”

LOPER CONNECTIONS

A three-time all-conference performer and two-time all-state selection, Neff was a do-it-all player for North Platte, finishing her high school career with more than 2,200 assists, 700 digs, 400 kills and 100 aces.

The 2018 North Platte Telegraph Player of the Year committed to UNK in fall 2020, following in the footsteps of multiple family members. Her mother, Pam (Sis) Jorgenson, played basketball for the Lopers and her father, P.D., was on the baseball team. Neff’s aunt, Tam (Sis) Kuenle, was an all-conference volleyball player for Kearney State College who still ranks in the top 10 in program history in solo blocks, total blocks and sets played.

That family connection is really cool – “There’s a picture of my mom in the Health and Sports Center with her crazy hairdo from back in the day,” Neff said with a laugh – but it’s not the main reason why she chose UNK.

“I liked that it was close to home and it was such a successful program,” she explained. “I knew that I was coming to a program that wanted to win.”

However, that success comes with increased pressure.

Neff admits she was “very scared” when she arrived on campus as a freshman. Fortunately, there was someone here to calm those nerves.

VALUABLE ROLE MODEL

Squiers played club volleyball with Neff’s older sister, Alex, before starting her college career at Bellevue University, where she was a two-time NAIA All-American.

She transferred to UNK in 2018 and redshirted that year, then joined the starting rotation in 2019, when the Lopers put together one of the best seasons in program history. They went 38-1 and reached the NCAA Division II national championship match for just the second time.

When the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 season, Squiers received another year of eligibility, allowing her to come back as a sixth-year senior in 2021.

“That whole year was just really unique,” she said. “We still joke about it. The freshmen who came in during my sixth year, they were in seventh grade when I was a senior in high school. So it was a really interesting dynamic having teammates who were so much younger than me.”

The odd situation ended up being a major benefit for Neff, who learned from the veteran setter during her redshirt year.

“It was really valuable to have somebody ahead of me who was super experienced, knew volleyball so well and was so dedicated to the program,” Neff said.

“Even playing on the other side during practice, it was frustrating, but also fun to get to play against her,” she added with a smile.

The Lopers went 26-7 that season and qualified for the Division II national tournament for the 22nd straight year. Squiers led the team with 1,338 assists and a program-record 53 aces while playing in all 115 sets. She was named a Division II All-American and All-MIAA First Team selection for the second time.

“I knew my last year that Peyton was going to be the setter after me, so I really felt like I had the mindset of taking her under my wing, teaching her and giving her feedback,” said Squiers, who continues to provide this mentorship as an assistant coach.

FIND YOUR STYLE

When Squiers transitioned from the court to the bench, that wasn’t the only change she wanted to see.

She encouraged Neff to develop her own identity and do things her way.

“You have to have your own style, your own leadership style, your own way of running things,” Squiers said. “And it’s been really cool to see that evolve. She’s grown so much from her freshman year to where she is now.”

The Lopers are 69-12 since Neff became the starting setter in 2022, including a perfect 12-0 record to start this season. She’s played in all but three sets during that time, earning All-MIAA First Team honors in both 2022 and 2023. Neff was also selected as a Division II All-American and First Team All-Region performer last year.

She’s been equally successful in the classroom, receiving the MIAA Excellence Award for a perfect 4.0 GPA the past three years. Neff graduated summa cum laude in May with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and she’s currently enrolled in the school psychology master’s program.

The MIAA Setter of the Week twice this season, she ranks ninth in program history with 3,114 career assists – one spot ahead of Squiers. But that’s not a stat either of them cares about.

Like any good leader, they’re both focused team goals: a conference championship and 25th consecutive trip to the national tournament.

“Looking back at the last few years, we’ve made it to the conference championship but didn’t win, so I would really like to make it to the championship again and win this year,” Neff said. “There were so many championships before I got here, so it’d be cool to be able to win one.”