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Northern Michigan Volleyball Rallies Past Tech, 3-1
 This story was written by NMU Sports Information MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan volleyball team picked up a big win on Thursday night, tying a season-high with 13 aces to help secure a four-set victory over rival Michigan Tech at Vandament Arena, 22-25, 25-23, 25-17, and 25-15. Julia Bouma led the way with five aces, followed by four from Allie Barlow. Northern now leads the GLIAC with 112 service aces. The Wildcats also hit its third-best percentage this season, .285. Jacqueline Smith paced the match with 18 kills hitting .333, while a balanced attack followed with McKenzie Gruner adding eight on a .583 clip, Meghan Meyer contributing eight more herself, Helein Beiring chipping in seven, and Kaysie Bakke recording six. Allie Barlow recorded 43 aces while Liesl Haugen notched 17 digs defensively. "I'm so proud of the team," said Kaysie Bakke following the win. "We were playing together, and everyone was doing their job. It is awesome to see some things we have been working on come together against a quality opponent. We are excited for more opportunities to keep getting better!" The Huskies began the match with a win in set one 25-22. NMU used a few 3-0 runs sandwiched by long exchanges of point-for-point to build a lead of 17-11. Michigan Tech came back and eventually pulled even at 21's. The Huskies finished it with a block and kill to open with a win, edging NMU in hitting percentage .242 to .171. NMU came out in set two on a five-point run featuring three straight aces from Allie Barlow, before MTU elected to take a timeout. The Wildcats continued to pressure, producing another five-point run leading to a Tech timeout at 16-11. The team was able to maintain its lead, with crucial kills from McKenzie Gruner before the Huskies again fought back to level the score at 20-20. Late in the set, the teams went back-and-forth trading points leading into set point. A kill from Kaysie Bakke paired with two aces from Julia Bouma wrapped the set up in favor of the 'Cats at 25-23. NMU notched an impressive seven aces throughout the set. The 'Cats built on its momentum and came out victorious again in set three, 25-17. Helen Beiring contributed on both sides of the ball, recording three kills on the set paired with multiple blocks. Jacqueline Smith added four kills. The teams exchanged points throughout the set, but the 'Cats were able to keep the lead throughout the majority. The final point of the set came in the form of a kill from Smith, winning 25-17. NMU added four more aces and hit .333. The Wildcats came out in the fourth set with five quick points, leading to a Tech timeout. With the strong opening, NMU was able to march forward with the lead. Allie Barlow was a key piece for the Wildcats offensively in the set with three kills, as well as seven assists. NMU was able to wrap-up set four 25-15 with a kill from Meghan Meyer, securing the match win. It was the third triumph in the last four for Northern against its UP rival, and the first in the new Vandament Arena. The Green and Gold improved to 10-4 (6-1 GLIAC) while dropping Michigan Tech to 8-6 (4-3 GLIAC). This story was written by Michigan Tech Athletics MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Michigan Tech volleyball team fell 3-1 on the road at Northern Michigan on Thursday. The Huskies won the first 25-22 before falling 25-23, 25-17, and 25-15. "Congrats to Coach Mike and his Wildcats for being the better team tonight," tech coach Matt Jennings said. "They served us off the court and that was the difference maker in a big way. Our passing was poor again tonight, which makes it hard to get things going at the net. "Rachel continues to be excellent for us, especially on the offensive side of the ball." The Huskies trailed by as many as seven in the opening set before mounting a late comeback. The visitors went on a 6-1 run and then took the lead after an 8-1 run. Rachel Zurek got hot with five kills in the first, including the clincher. Tech used a 9-1 run late in the second set to take a 22-20 lead, but the home team was able to finish on a 5-1 rally of its own to tie the match at the break. Paige Wagner, Meg Raabe, and Rachel Zurek each had three kills. NMU (10-4, 6-1 GLIAC) took the lead in the third after hitting .333 and controlling the play down the stretch. Seven different Huskies put down a kill with Meg Raabe and Rachel Zurek combining for eight, but Jacqueline Smith had the final two kills for NMU as part of her match-high 18 kills on the night. The Wildcats controlled the fourth after hitting .448 and forcing the Huskies into .115. Rachel Zurek continued to lead the Huskies with four kills in the set. Rachel Zurek tied her career-high with 16 kills while hitting .364. Meg Raabe was also in double figures offensively with 10 kills. Kaycee Meiners (8 kills) and Paige Wagner (7 kills) added to the offense set by Tess Hayes with 41 assists. Amelia Albers led the Huskies with 19 digs while Jacqueline Yancy added 12. The Huskies are now 8-6 overall and 4-2 in the GLIAC and host Roosevelt in their first meeting with the Lakers. First serve on Saturday is 2 p.m. at the SDC Gym. |
