HOUGHTON, Mich. - Facing a 9-5 deficit in the fifth set in a hostile environment, the Northern Michigan volleyball team stormed back with a 10-2 run to secure a thrilling come-from-behind nonconference victory over rival Michigan Tech on Thursday night at the SDC Gymnasium. 

Northern dropped a tight 26-24 opener but responded with decisive 25-19 and 25-18 wins in the next two frames. Tech battled back to claim the fourth 25-22 and force a deciding fifth, but the Green and Gold persevered for a 15-11 clincher to take the match 3-2.

The Wildcats' defense anchored the effort, totaling 90 digs, the second time this season they've reached that mark. Coming off a GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week honor, libero Liesl Haugen backed it up with a career-best 38 digs, the most in the GLIAC this season and the fifth-highest single-match total in Division II this year.

The defensive dominance extended to the net, where NMU posted a season-high 10 blocks. Emilia Gulock led the way with three, while McKenzie Gruner added two more.

On the offensive side, Northern delivered a season-best 65 kills, led by freshman Kaylie McIntosh, who made her rivalry debut in style with a career-high 19 kills on a blistering .500 hitting percentage. McIntosh tallied five kills in each of the first three sets.

"I'm very proud of the way our team was able to stay focused and composed during tight moments, especially when we were a little shaky at the start of the fifth," said McIntosh. "The loud atmosphere at Tech was so much fun to play in, and I had absolutely no doubt we were going to close out the match at the end!"

She wasn't alone in the attack, as three other Wildcats finished in double figures. Kaysie Bakke and Gulock each had 13, while Gruner added 12. As a team, NMU hit .250, its third-best output of the season, while holding the Huskies to .158 with 58 kills.

Allie Barlow orchestrated the balanced offense to perfection, recording a season-high 57 assists while spreading the ball effectively across multiple hitters.

The win mirrored NMU's win at Michigan Tech last year, as they trailed 1-0, led 2-1, and ultimately hung on for the victory over five-set win. In each match, several 'Cats recorded career-best performances. 

That is now five straight wins for the Wildcats, who are now 6-9 on the season.


How it Happened
Madison York's left-handed swing sparked the Wildcat attack with the opening kill as Northern jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set. York notched three kills in the first five points to set the tone early. Michigan Tech responded to even the score at 6-6, then used a four-point surge to move ahead 11-8.

McKenzie Gruner delivered back-to-back kills midway through the set to keep NMU within two, and later, a 5-1 Wildcat run, highlighted by a pair of kills from freshman Kaylie McIntosh, brought the score even at 20-20. Northern reclaimed the lead at 22-21 on a solo block from Gruner, but the Huskies closed strong, scoring five of the final seven points to take the set 26-24.

NMU hit .190 in the opening frame with 14 kills, led by McIntosh's five. Michigan Tech made its biggest impact from the service line, tallying four aces in the set.

The Green and Gold didn't let the first-set ending linger, jumping out to a quick 6-1 lead in the second. Michigan Tech chipped away with a few short runs of two and three points to climb back into it, eventually pulling even around the midway point.

Emilia Gulock stopped the surge with back-to-back kills and added a block soon after to help NMU reestablish control at 16-12. From there, the Wildcats kept their momentum rolling, closing out the frame 25-19 to even the match.

McIntosh again led the attack with five kills, while Northern totaled 14 as a team for the second straight set, this time hitting a much-improved .310 compared to Tech's .056.

For the third straight set, NMU jumped out to an early lead, fueled by a pair of kills from Emilia Gulock. This time, the Wildcats kept building as the frame progressed, using a 3-0 run to stretch the margin to 12-5.

The offensive surge continued with kills from Gulock, Kaysie Bakke, and another from Gulock to push the lead to 16-7 and force a Tech timeout. The brief break did little to slow Northern, as the Wildcats handled the remainder of the set for a 25-18 win and a 2-1 match advantage.

McIntosh capped the frame with two late kills to finish with five in the set, matching her season-high of 15 kills through just three frames. Northern hit .324 in the third and tallied 14 kills for the third consecutive set.

The teams traded points early in the fourth until a 4-0 Michigan Tech run gave the Huskies a 6-3 edge. NMU continued to battle, keeping the deficit within reach as the set moved past the midway mark.

With the score 14-12, Tech used another key 4-0 spurt to open up its largest lead at six. Still down 21-15, the Wildcats strung together three straight points to close the gap, but the Huskies held on to take the set 25-22 and force a decisive fifth.

In the deciding fifth set, Michigan Tech jumped ahead 2-0 before Gruner put NMU on the board. The Wildcats briefly claimed the lead, but a 4-0 Tech run prompted a Northern timeout with the score at 6-3. The Huskies maintained a three-point edge at 8-5 as the teams switched sides.

Trailing 9-5, the Wildcats surged back with five straight points to take the lead, highlighted by a pair of kills from Bakke. Emilia Gulock followed with two more, and NMU pushed ahead 13-10 with the finish line in sight. After another kill from Gruner, a Tech attack error sealed a thrilling 15-11 comeback set, and a 3-2 match victory for the Wildcats.


Up Next
The Wildcats will load up the bus and remain on the road as they head to Hammond, Indiana, to take on the Purdue Northwest Pride on Saturday, October 11, at 1 p.m. ET.