MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University Volleyball team returned to the Vandament Arena following three games on the road. Taking on the No. 21 ranked Ferris State Bulldogs, NMU fell in three sets, 12-25, 15-25, and 17-25.
SET ONE
The Bulldogs opened up the serve, but the established connection from
Lauren Van Remortel to
Jacqueline Smith gave the 'Cats the first point of the game.
The communication was strong on the Wildcat side following the quick timeout as
Meghan Meyer smashed down two massive kills to help the team get back on the board. Northern was down 14-6 at the midway point of the set.
The Bulldogs secured the first set handily, 25-12. NMU hit an impressive .200, but it was outshined by a .483 mark for FSU.
SET TWO
The second set started similar to the first, but this time
Rayne Thompson came out swinging, tying the game up 2-2. Both teams had tremendous encouragement from the bench and the fans, carrying the momentum no matter who took the point.
Despite several big kills from the Bulldogs, the 'Cats did not let up.
Lauren Van Remortel dropped a no-look tip over the net nearing midset, catching Ferris State by surprise, and closing the gap to 11-9 in favor of the Bulldogs.
The Wildcats rallied for a few more points, but Ferris continued to crawl toward setpoint. The Bulldogs took set two 25-15.
SET THREE
Ferris State took the first six points of the set. The Wildcats finally got on the scoreboard on kills by
Evynn Layshock and
Meghan Meyer.
After a few more long rallies,
Olivia Webber subbed in for the Wildcats and blocked some big hits from the Bulldogs. NMU trailed 20-9, but rallied to make it an exciting finish at 22-17. Ultimately, Ferris State grabbed the final three points needed for the set and the match, winning 25-17.
STAT LEADERS
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will play their second home game this weekend on Saturday, September 30 at 3:30 p.m. against Upper Peninsula rivals, Lake Superior State University.
