HOUGHTON, Mich. – Northern Michigan University Volleyball won the final two sets to close the Keweenaw Classic with a 3-2 victory over University of Minnesota Crookston.

SET SCORES

NMU started the match by taking the first set, jumping out to a 10-4 lead. The Wildcats then extended the lead out to 20-13 before they claimed a first set victory, 25-18. Minn. Crookston rallied back to win the next two sets, 25-15 and 25-17.

In the fourth set, NMU faced a 7-4 deficit but rallied with three points to tie it at 7-7. Crookston jumped ahead again, 11-8, but the Wildcats answered with a 11-1 rally and took a 19-12 advantage. The Golden Eagles pulled within 23-22, but a kill by Alyssa Milski (Oregon, Wis.) followed by an ace from senior Cheyanna Pyka (Merrill, Wis.)  gave the Wildcats two points to force a fifth set.  

The deciding set started with a 2-0 Crookston lead but NMU scored six-straight points then pulled ahead 11-4 after a kill from Milski. With the score 11-6, two kills from junior Cierra Martinez (Arvada, Colo.) moved it to 13-7. A Crookston attack error made it 14-7.

After the Golden Eagles added another point, freshman Lauren Van Remortel (Carmel, Ind.) dumped the ball over the net for the match-winning point.

THE ATTACK

Sophomore Hailey Wickstrom (Calumet, Mich.) led the offense with 17 kills. Sophomore Lizzy Stark (Minneapolis, Minn.) chipped in 15 kills while senior Sarah Kuehn (Green Bay, Wis.) added 10.

Van Remortel tallied 53 assists on the night for a career-high.

COMING UP ACES

The Wildcats accumulated 12 aces to help guide the team to victory. Stark notched five aces while freshman Abigail Durecki (South Lyon, Mich.) had four aces. Durecki also posted seven kills for the match as well. 

Pyka finished with two aces along with Van Remortel having one.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

Sophomore Lauren Caprini (St. Charles, Ill.) led the backrow as she notched 20 digs for the second time of the Classic. Van Remortel had 13 digs while Stark contributed 12 and Pyka had 11. 

At the Net, Durecki and Wickstrom both finished with two blocks. Van Remortel and Kuehn both had one as well.

UP NEXT

The Wildcats are now 2-2 on the season while Minnesota Crookston moves to 1-3. NMU returns to action Friday to take on Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe Davenport University in a nonconference matchup at the University of Indianapolis Invitational.