The Huskies volleyball team traveled to Aurora, Illinois this past weekend for the Midwest Crossover where several teams from the GLIAC, GLVC, and G-MAC competed. Michigan Tech started off the Crossover with a 3-0 win over the Bellarmine Knights, but dropped the next two matches in a 3-0 loss to the Drury Panthers, and a 3-1 loss to the Findlay Oilers.
In the first match on Friday the Huskies started out by easily winning the first set 25-16. The Huskies scored five straight points to end the set with the set winner on a service ace by freshman Anna Jonyas.
In the second set, senior Lauren Emmert put away the Knights with a powerful kill and gave the Huskies the 2-0 lead.
The Knights kept close the whole third set, but the Huskies Freshman Olivia Ghormley finished off the Knights with a big kill to win the set 25-22 and the match 3-0.
Ghormley led the Huskies in kills with 13, while Sophomore MacAulay Petersen finished with 10. Senior Elle Heinonen had 14 digs to lead the Huskies, and Ghormley had the sole block for the Huskies. The Huskies had 3 service aces in the match.
The second match on Friday saw the Huskies drop the match to the Drury Panthers in three sets. The Huskies kept it close at the end of the first match, bringing the score to 22-21, until the Panthers scored three straight points to win the match on a service ace 25-21.
The second set was even closer as the Huskies battled back from a 16-20 deficit to tie the game at 25 a piece on a kill by Junior Mariah Sherman. Unfortunately, the Panthers scored two straight to win the second set 27-25 on a kill.
The third set was eerily similar to the first, except the Huskies took the lead 23-22 on a kill by Ghormley forcing Drury to take a timeout. The timeout was what was needed for the Panthers as they scored three straight to win the set 25-23 on a kill.
Sherman had 10 kills in the match to Lead the Huskies, with Senior Stephanie Dietrich close behind with 9. Elle Heinonen again led the Huskies in digs with 21 in the match. Dietrich had two blocks to lead the Huskies.
On Saturday the Huskies suffered a 3-1 loss at the hands of the Findlay Oilers, a familiar opponent and former GLIAC member. The Huskies lost to the Oilers earlier this season in the Hillsdale Tournament 3-2.
The Huskies did very well for most of the set, at one point leading 17-10, but the Oilers battled back within to one after an attack error on the Huskies to make it 24-23 MTU. Ghormley delivered the final kill for the Huskies who took set one 25-23.
The second set started out well for the Huskies as they went up 7-3 at one point. Findlay battled back to take a 20-18 lead, and didn’t look back from there as they went on to win the second set 25-22.
The third set started out with Findlay dominating, as they would go up 22-12 before the Huskies came roaring back within three to make it 24-21 Findlay, but an attack error on the Huskies would give the set to the Oilers 25-21. The fourth set started out as a back and forth set until Findlay went on a five-point run to make it 14-8 Findlay. The Oilers would keep marching on from there as they would go on to win the set 25-17 after a kill.
Sherman finished the day with 13 kills to pace the Huskies, while Petersen and Emmert each produced 10 kills. Jonyas led the Huskies with 16 digs, while three different Huskies had a service ace. Two Huskies made the Crossover All-Tournament Team for the GLIAC as Freshman Laura DeMarchi and Senior Lauren Emmert were both honored for their spectacular play.
“We’ll be ready to resume GLIAC play next weekend at home for sure,” Huskies head coach Matt Jennings said. “I’m proud of the team and the fight we played with this weekend, but I think we’re looking forward to the second half of conference play.”
The Huskies head back home for Homecoming Weekend to resume GLIAC action. They face the two newcomers to the GLIAC, the Davenport Panthers (9-11) and the Purdue Northwest Pride (6-17), in a first time ever meeting between the Huskies and both teams. This weekend the volleyball team will be hosting Kills for Cancer for both games.
