MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan volleyball team will be traveling to Hammond, Indiana, this weekend to play three non-conference matches at the Midwest Region Crossover. 

The annual tournament brings together the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), and Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC), with 37 teams matched up against opponents from the other two conferences of similar standing.

The Wildcats (9-9, 6-4 GLIAC) will take on Lewis (11-8, 5-2 GLVC) on Friday, October 16, at 12:30 p.m. ET, followed by a clash against Ohio Dominican (15-5, 7-3 G-MAC) later in the afternoon at 5:30 p.m. ET. Northern will then play one match on Saturday, with time and opponent to be determined from results on Friday. 


Follow the Action
Stay connected with @NMU_Wildcats and @NMU_Volleyball on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for updates throughout the weekend.


A Word From Mike Lozier
"Lewis is a perennial NCAA Tournament team, and that will be a great matchup for us. We are really excited to play them. The last couple of years, Ohio Dominican has really elevated their play. The more successful the GLIAC is at this tournament, the better our chances are to get at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament."



Last Time Out
Northern split a pair of road matches last weekend, earning a 3-1 victory at Davenport on Friday before falling in straight sets at Wayne State on Saturday.

The Wildcats handed Davenport its first home loss of the season, bouncing back from a narrow first-set defeat to win the next three frames. Northern recorded a season-high 11 service aces, led by three apiece from Allie Barlow and Liesl Haugen, while tying a season high with 10 blocks. KC Fortune led the offense with 13 kills, while freshmen Laynie Russell and Anna O'Keefe added 10 each.

Northern struggled to find its rhythm against Wayne State, falling 25-15, 25-15, 25-10. The Warriors hit .411 compared to the Wildcats' .100, limiting Northern to six total points with a lead throughout the match. O'Keefe led the Wildcats with seven kills.


About the 'Cats
Senior setter Allie Barlow continues to lead the NMU offense and was named the GLIAC Setter of the Week twice this season. Barlow has 683 assists this season and averages 10.04 assists per set, both ranking second in the GLIAC. She surpassed 3,000 career assists earlier this season, becoming just the eighth player in program history to reach the milestone.

Kaylie McIntosh leads the Wildcats with 220 kills this season, ranking fourth in the GLIAC. McIntosh has been one of the conference's most productive attackers throughout the season, including a career-high 28-kill performance against Michigan Tech. Freshmen Anna O'Keefe and Laynie Russell have also provided significant offensive production, with O'Keefe recording 175 kills and Russell adding 146. 

Senior libero Liesl Haugen has been a standout presence in the Wildcats' back row throughout the season. She ranks fourth in the GLIAC with 4.58 digs per set this season. Haugen surpassed 1,500 career digs earlier this season, becoming just the fourth player in program history to reach the milestone.