HOUGHTON, Mich. -- No. 19 Northern Michigan University volleyball saw their 11-match winning streak come to an end as they fell 3-1 at No. 21 Michigan Technological University in their final regular-season road match of 2021 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC) play Friday night. 

The match began in the Wildcats' favor, with the team pulling out to an early 7-3 lead in set one.

MTU was able to get the score to 8-6, but NMU soon answered back with a four-point run to go up 12-6. A kill from Lauren Van Remortel, assisted by Alli Yacko, opened the run followed by three consecutive kills from Jacqueline Smith. All the Smith kills were assisted by Van Remortel.

Later in the set, the Wildcats increased the lead to seven following a Smith service ace. The Huskies made a push late and a kill tied the game at 23-all. Lizzy Stark put NMU up by one with a Van Remortel assisted kill and then an MTU error gave the Wildcats a 25-23 win in the opening set.

Both teams kept things even in the opening moments of the second set. The first eight points of the match resulted in four ties. Meghan Meyer was the first Wildcat to score in the second set with a kill. 

With the game tied at 4-4, an MTU kill put the Huskies up for good in the second frame.

Another Van Remortel assisted kill from Meghan Meyer pulled NMU within three at 13-10, but the home team was able to keep the momentum on their side and pull away. MTU took set two with a score of 25-17.

The Wildcats pulled ahead early in the third set. A Huskies error put NMU up 1-0 and then a Meyer block put the lead at two.

MTU scored two straight to even the score at 2-2, but another Meyer kill gave the Wildcats another lead. The Huskies answered with a kill of their own, but Meyer showed off his offensive prowess with another kill.  Much like in the second frame, MTU found its momentum and started to pull away.

A block assist from Angelina Negron and Stark was the final NMU point of the set. The Huskies earned the win in set three, 25-14.

The fourth set was a difficult one for the visiting Wildcats. 

Down 0-3, NMU pulled within one on back-to-back kills. Smith contributed the first kill while Stark hammered home the next. Van Remortel facilitated the two points with assists on each.

The Wildcats were able to keep it within two for a stretch of three points. Hailey Wickstrom and Stark each had kills to keep it competitive for NMU.

A late 6-0 run by MTU gave the Huskies a sizeable lead, but it did not stop the Wildcat fight. A kill from Stark and a block assist from Negron and Stark ended the home team's run.

Unfortunately, NMU was unable to rally back and the Huskies earned the match win with a 25-11 final set.

Smith tallied a team-high 13 kills for the Wildcats. Stark was the next for NMU with 11. 

Yacko led the team in digs with 18 while Smith added 13. 

Meyer impressed on defense with six total blocks. Of the six, three were solo and three were assisted. Stark and Negron also added three block assists to the Wildcat effort.

Van Remortel showed off her skill in sharing the ball as she dished out 37 assists.

NMU finishes the GLIAC regular season tomorrow against Michigan Tech inside Vandament Arena. 

The Wildcats can clinch an outright GLIAC regular-season championship tomorrow if Purdue Northwest wins one of their two matches this weekend and NMU also beats MTU tomorrow. The Wildcats and Huskies will be co-champions If PNW does not win a match this weekend and NMU wins tomorrow.

The regular-season champion is determined by the GLIAC this season through a points system where each team did not play an even number of matches this season.

The match is slated to begin at 4 p.m. tomorrow in Marquette.