MARQUETTE, Mich. - Winners of four straight matches, the Northern Michigan volleyball team will look to ride its momentum into a pair of road contests at Michigan Tech and at Purdue Northwest this weekend.
The Wildcats have won four straight matches in the GLIAC, most recently coming off a five-set win over Saginaw Valley State, along with a sweep of Lake Superior State last weekend.
The Green and Gold will first make a stop at Michigan Tech to take on the Huskies in a non-conference match on Thursday, October 9, at 6 p.m. From there, Northern will head south to Hammond, Indiana, to clash with the Pride of Purdue Northwest on Saturday, October 11, at 1 p.m. ET.
Both matches can be streamed on FloCollege.
Follow the Action
Stay connected with @NMU_Wildcats and @NMU_Volleyball on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for updates throughout the weekend.
Thursday, Oct. 9 - at Michigan Tech - 6 p.m.
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Live Stats
Saturday, Oct. 11 - at Purdue Northwest - 1 p.m. ET
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From the Coach
"We are working on being able to slow down their outsides…we are changing our defense and our blocking scheme a bit. The best way to quiet a crowd is to do it on the scoreboard, and the hope is we come out fast and take control from there."
About the Wildcats
Having played 12 of its 14 matches away from Vandament Arena so far, the Wildcats will have five more matches away from home before returning to its own friendly confines. Last weekend, NMU knocked off SVSU in five sets and LSSU in straight sets.
Playing a key role in those wins was libero
Liesl Haugen, who earned the second GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week honor in her career. She tied a season-high with 25 digs in the five-set thriller against SVSU and followed it up with 16 digs at LSSU. She is now averaging 4.88 digs per set over her four GLIAC matches, ranking her fourth in the category as she continues to be a key defensive anchor for the Wildcats.
On the offensive side,
McKenzie Gruner has had the hot hand during the four-match winning streak. Gruner has recorded at least 13 kills while hitting over .300 in each of the last four, including back-to-back career-best 16 kill outings last weekend. Through six conference contests, her 74 kills rank seventh, and her .388 hitting percentage ranks first.
Now at the halfway point of the regular season, the Wildcats are averaging 11.6 kills and 10.8 assists per set. The offense remains balanced, as five 'Cats have recorded at least two 10+ kill matches. Responsible for the unpredictable attack is reigning All-GLIAC Second Teamer
Allie Barlow with 438 assists, fifth most in the conference.
The Wildcats won both contests against the Huskies last season, which included a five-set thriller in Houghton. NMU is 9-1 all-time against the Pride.
Scouting the Opponents
Michigan Tech Huskies
The Huskies enter Thursday's match with an identical 4-2 GLIAC record, one of five conference teams holding at four wins. Overall, Tech is 7-6 with a 2-0 record at home. The team is averaging 13.2 kills and 12.3 assists per set.
Jacqueline Yancy (129 kills) and Rachel Zurek (126) present a dynamic one-two punch on offense. Yancy's 86 kills in conference play rank her first. Setter Tess Hayes has recorded 318 assists this season, with five matches with 35 or more. She was named the GLIAC Setter of the Week two weeks ago.
Purdue Northwest Pride
The Pride are one game back of the 'Cats in the GLIAC at 3-3 while 6-6 overall. They are coming off defeats in straight sets to Wayne State and Grand Valley State last weekend. Overall, the Pride average 12.4 kills and 11.5 assists per set.
Anika Huelskamp (119), Arra Cottrell (118), and Allyson Cathey (107) have all eclipsed 100 kills so far this season. The Pride rank first in the GLIAC in service aces per set (2.13) and second in blocks per set (2.33). The 28 aces from Marina Gronkiewicz are tops throughout the league.
