The Huskies volleyball team (17-8, 11-3 GLIAC) increased their GLIAC win-streak to eight as they defeated their arch-rival, the Northern Michigan Wildcats (18-7, 10-4 GLIAC) this past Saturday 3-2. With the win the Huskies move past the Wildcats, up to second in the GLIAC standings.
The Huskies and Wildcats started battling right away in the first set, but the Huskies would tie it up at four apiece on a kill by Senior Lauren Emmert. NMU went on a 9-4 run to take the 13-8 lead after an attack error on the Huskies. A kill by the Wildcats would put NMU up 17-14, forcing Tech to call a time out.
Following the time out, the Huskies would go on a 10-4 run to take the 24-21 lead. Tech called another time out to set up Freshman Olivia Ghormley for the powerful kill, as Tech took set one 25-21.
The Wildcats took an early 6-2 lead in the second set on an attack error on the Huskies. Three straight errors on the Wildcats and a kill by Emmert tied the set up at six each.
The Huskies would take the 12-11 lead on a kill by Junior Mariah Sherman, but an 8-3 run by the Wildcats would see NMU go up 19-15. However, Tech took the 22-21 lead on two straight attack errors on the Wildcats. Three straight points by NMU and set two went to the Wildcats 25-23.
Set three saw the Wildcats take another early lead 7-3. Four straight points by the Huskies tied it up at seven apiece, which sparked a point for point battle eventually being tied at fourteen.
A service error on the Huskies and a kill by the Wildcats put NMU up 16-14, and the Wildcats never looked back scoring four straight points to end set two 25-19.
The Huskies started set four red-hot and went up 7-2, sparking a time out by the Wildcats. The Wildcats pulled within two making it 7-5, before the Huskies responded going up 13-8 on a service ace by Freshman Megan Utlak. NMU went on an 8-3 run to tie it up at sixteen each on a kill.
The Huskies and Wildcats traded three-point runs to tie it up at nineteen. Sophomore MacAulay Peterson scored a kill for the Huskies starting a five-point run to go up 24-19.
NMU answered with a four-point run of their own to make it 24-23, but a service error on the Wildcats gave set four to MTU 25-23.
Tech went into set five seeing the win in sight, as they went up early 7-3 forcing NMU to take a time out. Kills by Peterson and Emmert and an attack error on the Wildcats saw the Huskies go up 10-5 forcing NMU to take another time out.
The Wildcats came storming back following the time out, bringing the game to 11-10 MTU. An attack error on the Wildcats, a service ace by Utlak, and a kill by Senior Stephanie Dietrich saw the Huskies within one of winning the match.
The Wildcats, however, had different plans, as they went on a five-point run to go up 15-14. A service error on the Huskies would tie it back up at sixteen each. Two straight kills by Emmert secured the win for the Huskies 18-16.
Four different Huskies were in double digits in kills, led by Sherman with 18. The Huskies had eight service aces on the night, led by Utlak with three, and Senior Halie Hart with two. Three different Huskies were in double digits in digs, led by Senior Elle Heinonen with 24.
“I’m just so proud of our team and the way that we fought,” said Tech coach Matt Jennings. “A five-setter in a place like this versus such a good team like Northern and a full house against our rival. What we accomplished here was not easy to do. I’m just glad that we came through in the end.”
The Huskies head back home next weekend as they take on the Northwood Timberwolves (14-11, 6-8 GLIAC) at 5 p.m. Friday, and the GLIAC leading Ferris State Bulldogs (19-6, 12-2 GLIAC) at 3 p.m. on Saturday in the final home games of the regular season for the Huskies.
Both the Timberwolves and the Bulldogs are coming off of a weekend sweep of LSSU and SVSU with scores of 3-0. The Huskies defeated the Timberwolves 3-0, but lost to the Bulldogs 3-0 on the road earlier this year.
