By: Harley Beyer

Athletics Communications Intern

MARQUETTE, Mich. — The Wildcats of Northern Michigan University volleyball are back on the road this weekend as they continue Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play and look to secure two more conference wins. 

The Wildcats begin their weekend by traveling to Northwood University on Friday with a 7 p.m. match start. They hit the road again and travel back north to take on the Lake Superior State University Lakers in a 2 p.m. match on Saturday.

WEEKLY NOTES

FOLLOW ALONG

Fans can follow the action using live stats and video.

Follow @NMU_Wildcats on Twitter for continued coverage throughout the week.

Friday VS. Northwood

Live Stats: https://nmuwildcats.com/sports/wvball/2021-22/boxscores/20210924_vcth.xml 

Video: https://nmuwildcats.com/links/mru6i8 

Saturday VS. Lake Superior State

Live Stats: https://nmuwildcats.com/sports/wvball/2021-22/boxscores/20210925_z761.xml 

Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/lssu/

PRESEASON POLLS

The Wildcats were picked second in the GLIAC North Division with 50 points, finishing one point behind Michigan Tech and 16 points ahead of Northwood. NMU received two first-place votes in the conference poll.

KEY RETURNERS

2020-21 GLIAC Freshman of the Year and GLIAC Tournament MVP sophomore Jacqueline Smith is back for the Wildcats this season. The sophomore led the team in total kills, kills per set, points, and points per set.

GLIAC First Team student-athletes Lauren Van Remortel and Meghan Meyer also return to the NMU roster. Van Remortel, the team's setter, led the team in assists last season. Meyer, a sophomore, was No. 1 on the team and in the GLIAC in attacking percentage while leading the team in total blocks.

STAT LEADERS

Four Wildcats are in the top five of four different statistical categories among many other talented GLIAC student-athletes.

Jacqueline Smith took second in the conference in kills with 155 total kills and second in kills per set with 3.97. She also found herself ranked fifth in service aces per set with 0.44.

Other Wildcats spotted on the individual stats leaderboard include Caylie Barlage taking second in service aces per set with 0.62. Lizzy Stark is also found on the services aces per set leaderboard, taking fourth with a mark of 0.46. Lauren Van Remortel worked her way onto the conference leaderboard as well with 10.26 assists per set grabbing fifth overall in the GLIAC.

LAST TIME OUT

The volleyball 'Cats earned one win as they started out GLIAC conference play this past weekend in three home matches.

The Wildcats started out the weekend strong with a 3-1 win against Ferris State on Friday. On Saturday, the Grand Valley State Lakers took a win from the Wildcats as the team went down in three sets. The 'Cats then put up an extraordinary fight on Sunday as they faced Davenport, but ended up dropping the match 3-1.

NMU VS NORTHWOOD

The last time the Wildcats met the Timberwolves was in the 2020-21 spring season as the 'Cats took home two more wins to make the total wins against Northwood 49. They have faced them 73 times since their first game in 1983.

NMU VS LAKE SUPERIOR STATE

The Lakers and 'Cats have faced off 106 times in 47 years, with the Wildcats winning 88 of those matches. In the most recent season (2020-21), the NMU women's team took two more wins from Lake Superior State adding to its notable winning percentage of 0.834.