MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan volleyball team will travel to Hammond, Indiana for the second time in the past month, this time taking part in the 16th annual Midwest Regional Crossover Tournament.
After winning five of the six past matches, all at home, the Wildcats will return to the road to face three regional opponents, starting with a rematch against Findlay on Friday, October 18 at 3:00 p.m., followed by a clash with UIndy, also on Friday, October 18 at 8:00 p.m. NMU will then play Rockhurst on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.
The Midwest Regional Crossover Tournament, the largest NCAA volleyball tournament in the country, returns to the 12-court Hammond Sportsplex. The event will consist of 11 teams from the GLIAC, 13 from the G-MAC, and 14 from the GLVC. The crossover tournament event will be October 18-19 with all 38 teams competing. Each team will be guaranteed three matches and every session will utilize six courts at once.
Visit the Tournament Page here.
NMU enters the weekend of play with an overall record of 11-4. Findlay will come into the weekend at 13-4 overall, while UIndy holds a record of 14-4.
Follow the Action
Follow @NMU_Wildcats and @NMU_Volleyball on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the matches.
Friday, October 18 vs. Findlay at 3:00 p.m.
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Live Stats
Friday, October 18 vs. UIndy at 8:00 p.m.
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Live Stats
Saturday, October 19 vs. Rockhurst at 3:00 p.m.
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Live Stats
A Word from Mike Lozier
"I think we're doing a really nice job of narrowing our focus every day and just getting better. I'm feeling really good about how our team is approaching this season. To be at the halfway point and to be in the discussion for the top of the conference and the top of the region...that's a pretty good place to be."
'Cat Nips
- NMU defeated Michigan Tech and Roosevelt last weekend to finish off a six-game homestand in which they went 5-1.
- On October 5th vs. Lake Superior State, Jacqueline Smith broke the program's all-time kills record, surpassing the previous mark of 1,664 by Andrea Gommans that stood since 1993.
- Smith has now recorded double-digits kills in 13 of 14 matches this season. Her 27 kills against Truman State marked a career-high and is a single-match high in the GLIAC this season. She is 2nd in the conference with 225 kills this year.
- Smith also reached 1,000 career digs earlier this season, becoming the 18th player in NMU history to hit the milestone. Caylie Barlage will look to become the 19th Wildcat to hit that mark as she currently sits at 933.
- Allie Barlow paces all GLIAC setters with 607 assists and is second with 29 aces.
- Libero Liesl Haugen ranks 3rd in the GLIAC with 231 digs.
- Meghan Meyer and McKenzie Gruner each have a .371 hitting percentage, tied with each other for 4th in the GLIAC. Meyer is closing in on the 1,000 career kills plateau, currently sitting at 958.
- NMU's 25-6 win in set two against Davenport last weekend was the biggest set win during Mike Lozier's NMU tenure, and tied for the biggest individual set win in the last 12 years (25-5 set vs. Lake Superior State in 2012).
Notes on the Opponents
Findlay
Findlay and NMU met earlier in the season in the UP Open, with the Wildcats falling in three sets. Findlay is coming off of a split weekend, losing to Hillsdale, but sweeping Northwood in three.
Kenzie Hoelscher, a Junior middle hitter for the team, currently holds the second-ranked position in all of DII Volleyball in hitting percentage (0.456). As a team, they are 8th nationally (.282) while also 8th in kills/set (14.41).
UIndy
The UIndy Volleyball team finished a tough weekend of play last weekend, getting swept with conference play losses from Mckendree and Missouri - St. Louis. UIndy is top-10 regionally and top-50 nationally in blocks-per-set (2.21).
