SEATTLE - Seattle University volleyball will honor one of its own, revealing the name of its upcoming 2026 tournament as the Steve Nimocks Redhawk Invitational, which will be held August 28-30 at the Redhawk Center.
"This came about through multiple conversations with our alumni, especially those who played for coach Steve," head coach Dan Behnke said. "They shared with me a little about his story, his battle with ALS and the positive impact he had even past their time here at Seattle U. We felt like naming the tournament after him was something we could do for them, would be a great way to highlight his legacy and share a really great story about our program."
Nimocks pioneered the way for the modern era of Seattle U volleyball, reinvigorating the program after its hiatus and aiding in its elevation towards division one during his five year coaching career.
Nimocks began his coaching as an assistant before overseeing the Seattle U helm in the program’s return in 1999. During his tenure, Nimocks compiled 55 wins as head coach before retiring in 2003. The program made the jump to DII in his third season after beginning at the NAIA level in 1999. That season, Seattle U secured its first double digit wins season.
In Nimocks’ fourth year, he guided the program to its best record to date, compiling a 22-7 record, including a 12-6 record in conference play. Nimocks’ final season saw the program’s third straight double digit win season and first ever berth to the NCAA DII championship field.
In February 2014, Nimocks was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) which he fought until his passing in December of that year. Today, in conjunction with the tournament, the program has set up a donation page through ALS Northwest in his honor to assist those impacted by ALS.
The Redhawks will honor their volleyball legacy with six volleyball games over three days, hosting North Dakota, Chicago State and Eastern Washington for the 2026 Steve Nimocks Redhawk Invitational from August 28-30 at the Redhawk Center.
Donations to ALS Northwest can be made here. Tickets are available for purchase, which are valid for the duration of the tournament.
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