Box Score Wildcats Defeat Lake Superior for Weekend Sweep
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan University Volleyball Wildcats defeated Lake Superior State in three sets (26-24, 25-19, 25-20) on Saturday (Nov. 16) to complete their weekend sweep of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponents. The Wildcats finish the regular season 22-9 overall and 15-3 in the conference, good for a three-way tie for second place in the GLIAC. Northern Michigan will host Findlay in the first round of the GLIAC tournament on Wednesday, November 20, at 7 p.m. in Vandament Arena.
In the match against the Lake Superior State Lakers seniors Sarah Hamilton and Kalli Herron led the Wildcat attack with 10 and 12 kills, respectively. Hamilton added four block assists while Herron added a service ace, two digs, and two block assists. On the defensive front the Wildcats were led by sophomore Alex Berger with 11 digs and senior Kellisha Harley with nine. Harley dished out 31 assists while directing the Wildcat offense.
The Wildcats got off to a slow start in the match, spotting the Lakers seven points at 9-2. The Wildcats used Megan Dahl's serve to get back in the set. Dahl had two service aces in her serving series that took the set to 10-6. The Wildcat continued to come from behind and eventually tied the set at 16, 19, 20, and 21 before taking their first lead of the set at 22-21. The Wildcats and Lakers traded points from that point forward and used kills by Hamilton and sophomore Lisa Studnicka to take the first set 26-24.
In set two the Wildcats and Lakers traded points until the Lakers used the serve of Justice Kjolhede to take six straight points and the lead at 9-6. The Lakers maintained their lead until multiple attack errors put them behind at 18-17. The Wildcats went on to win 7 of the next 9 points to win the second set, 25-19.
In the third stanza the Wildcats won the first point and never looked back. The Wildcats finished the set with 16 kills on 37 attempts and seven errors for a .243 hitting percentage. The Wildcats won the third set 25-20.
On the afternoon the Wildcats had 41 kills on 121 attempts with 19 errors and a .182 kill percentage. The Wildcats had seven service aces and only two reception errors. The Lakers finished the day with 36 kills on 112 attempts and 21 errors for a .134 kill percentage.
Northern Michigan will now play in the GLIAC post season tournament. The Wildcats are the #3 seed in the tournament and will host #6 Findlay on Wednesday, November 20, at 7 p.m. in Vandament Arena. Tickets for the match are $7 for adults, $5 for students, and $3 for NMU students.
*In her career, Lopes has 1,325 kills and 1,191 digs in 441 sets and 119 matches played. In the Wildcat Volleyball record books Lopes is second in career kills with 1,325, passing Tricia Tuler (1990-93) who had 1301. Andrea Gommans (1990-93) holds the NMU record with 1,664.
*Harley has 2,461 assists in her career which is good for 7thin the NMU record book behind Abby Lovell (2009-11) with 2,627. Harley is fourth in NMU's history in assists per set as she averages 10.33 assists per set in 238 played sets.
*Herron has 998 career kills in 403 sets and 113 matches.
