MARQUETTE, Mich. – It was an exciting return to Vandament Arena on Friday evening for the Northern Michigan volleyball team, as the Wildcats outlasted the Grand Valley State Lakers in a five-set thriller, 25-23, 26-24, 17-25, 23-25, and 15-12.
The Wildcats jumped ahead 2-0 and looked poised for a sweep after building an early 4-1 lead to begin the third, but the Lakers fought back to win the next two sets and force a decisive fifth. NMU led 8-4 as the teams switched sides in the final frame, but the Lakers rallied again to even the score at 8-8. From there, the two teams traded points, tying three more times, before the 'Cats closed it out with the final three points, capped by a thunderous match-ending block that perfectly reflected Northern's dominance at the net throughout the night.
Despite Grand Valley entering as the GLIAC's top-blocking team, it was the Wildcats who set the tone at the net, posting a season-high 15 blocks, five more than their previous best this season and their highest total since 2017. The effort at the point of attack helped Northern flip the script against one of the league's best.
Leading the charge were
Kaysie Bakke and
McKenzie Gruner, who each recorded four blocks.
Emilia Gulock,
Madison York, and
Kaylie McIntosh all contributed at least two more, rounding out a true team effort on defense.
Offensively, the Wildcats spread the wealth with three players reaching double-digit kills. McIntosh led the way with 15, followed closely by Bakke with 14 and Gruner with 13. The balanced attack kept the Laker defense guessing, as
Allie Barlow dished out 48 assists to guide NMU to a .162 hitting percentage on 61 total kills. Grand Valley's Meghan O'Sullivan led all players with 17 kills.
"I am so incredibly proud of our team after yet another gritty five-setter at home," said assistant coach
Lauren Van Remortel. "This win was not by luck. It was a culmination of the hard work put in over the last few months. We have another amazing opportunity against a great opponent tomorrow, and we can't wait. Go 'Cats!"
The win marks six straight GLIAC victories for the Wildcats, improving their record to 6-2 and pulling them even with the Lakers (7-2) in the loss column. It also snapped a five-match skid against Grand Valley.
How It Happened
The opening set was a back-and-forth battle early on. GVSU was first to break free at 10-7, but NMU stormed back with a 4-0 run, highlighted by two kills each from Bakke and York, to take an 11-10 lead.
An ace from
Sydney Bartels later put Northern ahead 17-15, prompting a Laker timeout. A kill from Gulock extended the margin to 21-18, forcing another. After GVSU fended off a set point, Gruner sealed the deal with a block to give NMU the 25-23 win. The 'Cats led in kills (13-8) and aces (3-0) in the opener, while the Lakers stayed close with seven blocks.
From there, NMU turned the tables defensively, limiting GVSU to just three blocks across the final four sets, an ode to the Wildcats' adjustments and resilience.
Gruner stayed hot in the second, notching three early kills for a 4-2 edge and adding a solo block to make it 7-4. After both offenses found their rhythm, NMU built its largest lead at 21-14 before GVSU closed within one. Just like the first set, the Wildcats held firm, winning 26-24 on a Bakke kill. NMU hit .286 in the frame with only four errors.
The Lakers responded in the third, erasing a 4-1 NMU lead and going on a 6-0 run to pull away 22-13 before taking it 25-17. GVSU hit .345 in the set to NMU's .184.
Grand Valley carried that momentum into the fourth, jumping ahead 6-0. The Wildcats cut it to 7-4 and later mounted a late five-point surge to make it 23-22, but the Lakers held on to win 25-23, forcing a fifth.
In the decisive frame, Gruner struck first, and three McIntosh kills helped NMU build an 8-4 advantage at the switch. GVSU rallied again to tie it three times, but NMU answered every punch. With the score knotted at 12-12, Bakke hammered a kill and an attack error set up match point. McIntosh and Gruner then sealed it with a massive block for the 15-12 victory.
The Wildcats hit .353 in the final set with nine kills and a pair of rejections.
Up Next
The Wildcats will look to extend their GLIAC-win streak to seven tomorrow (October 25) as they take on the Wayne State Warriors. First serve is slated for 3 p.m.
