HAMMOND, Ind. - A sweep and a five-set setback closed out the Midwest Region Crossover Tournament for the Northern Michigan University volleyball team (7-12, 2-6 GLIAC) on Saturday evening.

The Wildcats fell 3-2 to Maryville University (Mo.) in the first match of the day and won 3-0 over Ursuline College in match number two. 

MATCH #1: NMU VS MARYVILLE

SET ONE

Big momentum shifts created the storyline of the first Saturday match for the Wildcats in Indiana.

A 5-0 NMU run put the team up 8-5. Two Lizzy Stark service aces and a Meghan Meyer kill added to a pair of Saints' errors in the run.

Maryville put together a run of their own to the tune of nine unanswered. It put the Saints up 16-12.

Later in the set, the Wildcats put themselves back on top with a 4-0 run. A Madeline Crowley service ace closed out the run that put the 'Cats up 20-18.

It was close in the late going, but Maryville pulled back ahead and took set one 25-23.

SET TWO

The Saints put the first score on the board, but that was the only lead they held in the second frame.

An Angelina Negron kill began a 6-0 run for NMU that put them in the lead for good. 

Maryville did attempt a comeback with three unanswered points pulling them within three at 20-17. 

The Wildcats avoided the scare and scored four out of the last six points in the set. The hot serving streak for NMU kept going as the set was won with a Caylie Barlage service ace.

The 'Cats pulled even 1-1 in the match with a frame two 25-20 win.

SET THREE

Set three kept up the match theme of exchanging runs as there were six runs of at least three unanswered points in the third set.

Both teams exchanged 3-0 bursts to open the set with the Saints having theirs first followed by one from NMU. 

The longest run for the Wildcats began at 11-10 with a kill from Jacqueline Smith assisted by Lauren Van Remortel. Four NMU points followed to put the 'Cats up 15-10.

Unfortunately, Maryville answered back with a 6-0 run to take a one point lead.

It looked like the Saints were going to run away with the set after a later five point run put them up 23-18, but the Wildcats were not phased.

NMU used a 4-0 run to pull within one at 24-23. Two Smith kills, an Olivia Webber and Smith block, and a Maryville error set up the comeback.

Despite the valiant effort by the Wildcats, the Saints held on and won set three 25-23.

SET FOUR

The fourth set felt much like the second with Maryville scoring the first point and NMU following that by taking the lead and never looking back. 

A 5-0 run was what gave the Wildcats the lead for good and it featured a little bit of everything including a kill, two service aces, a block, and two opponent errors.

The 'Cats extended the lead even more with a 6-0 run later to move the score to 14-5.

A Smith kill put the exclamation point on the fourth frame with a 25-20 NMU win forcing a fifth set.

SET FIVE

It was a struggle for the Wildcats in the final set of the day's opening match as the opposition scored eight of the first 10 points in the frame.

A Lizzy Stark kill pulled NMU within four at 12-8 and a Smith kill kept the set going at 13-9.

The Saints went on to claim the deciding set 15-9 and the match 3-2.

MATCH #2: NMU VS URSULINE

SET ONE

The second match of the day brought success to the Wildcat team.

After falling behind 16-10 in the first set, NMU put together an impressive burst of offense. 

The Arrows committed a service error that was the first point of a 10-2 Wildcat run. A Meyer kill closed out the streak that put the 'Cats up 20-18.

It was all NMU the rest of the way as they never surrendered the lead again en route to the 25-23 set win.

SET TWO

One word summed up set two for the Wildcats: dominance.

Ursuline and NMU exchanged points early but after falling behind 2-1, the 'Cats scored eight straight to take a 9-2 lead. An Angelina Negron kill began the run and one from Stark closed it out.

There were three more 4-0 runs for the Wildcats in the game, with the last moving the score to 23-9 after an Ania Hyatt and Negron block.

NMU took the impressive set two win by a score of 25-9. The team hit at a .393 clip in the frame.

SET THREE

The Arrows jumped out to an early 3-1 lead before the Wildcats put together a 4-0 run to take a 9-7 advantage.

NMU continued to extend its lead out to six, holding a 17-11 advantage after a Hyatt and Meyer kill closed out a 5-0 run. 

Ursuline responded with a 4-0 run to cut the Wildcat lead to two points at 18-16.

The Wildcats kicked things into gear and took control of the set late. Four straight kills for the 'Cats, with two of those coming from Hyatt, gave a 25-19 set win and the match sweep to the team from Marquette.

STAT LEADERS

In the second match, the NMU team had a .324 hitting percentage which was good for the best performance by the 'Cats this year.

Smith led the team in kills in both matches with 18 in the first and 14 in the second. The sophomore hit at a .333 clip in the second match.

Hyatt led the team in hitting percentage in the second match with a .533 mark with eight kills on 15 attempts. Stark (.333) and Meyer (.385) also hit above .300 in the Ursuline match.

The team notched double-digit service aces in both matches. The Wildcats had 13 against Maryville and 11 against Ursuline. Crowley led the ace effort in match one (6) with Negron on top in the second (4).

Van Remortel had her second match of the year with over 50 assists with a 54 assist effort against the Saints in match one.

UP NEXT

A Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference road swing is next for the Wildcats. NMU takes on Purdue University Northwest on Friday at 8 p.m. and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday at 2 p.m.