HAMMOND, Ind. – The Northern Michigan volleyball team closed its third and final match at the Midwest Regional Crossover with a 3-1 defeat to the Findlay Oilers.
The Wildcats jumped ahead with a 25-20 win in the first, but Findlay controlled the second (25-16) and third (25-17), never trailing in either. Each side had its moment in the fourth, but the Oilers edged Northern 25-23 for the comeback win.
KC Fortune led the Wildcats with 12 kills, 11 digs, and three aces.
Kaylie McIntosh and
Laynie Russell each had 10 kils.
Allie Barlow had 36 assists, Findlay's Stephanie Smith led all players with 15 kills.
The Wildcats finished the tournament with a 1-2 record and now sit at 10-11 overall with three weeks left in the regular season.
How it Happened
Northern came out strong in the opening set, using four early service aces to build a 9-4 lead and then extending it to 12-5. Findlay responded with seven straight points to even the score at 15-15, setting up a back-and-forth finish.
Laynie Russell helped spark a 5-0 run late to put the Wildcats ahead 23-18, and
Kaylie McIntosh closed out the set with a kill in a 25-20 win. Northern finished with five aces in the set, four coming during its early run.
Findlay responded in the second, gradually pulling away after an early exchange of points. The Oilers never trailed in the set, taking advantage of the momentum to even the match with a decisive 25-16 win.
The Oilers carried that momentum into the third, opening with five straight points before Northern battled back to tie the set at 7-7. Findlay answered with a 4-0 run to create separation at 15-10 and maintained control the rest of the way, closing out a 25-17 win to take a 2-1 match lead.
Northern continued to battle in the fourth, overcoming an early 7-2 deficit with a 4-0 run fueled by kills from three different Wildcats to take an 11-10 lead, its first lead since the end of the first set.
Another 5-0 stretch pushed Northern ahead 16-14, but Findlay responded with four straight points to regain control. The Wildcats fought back once more, scoring three consecutive points to tie the set at 22-22, but the Oilers answered to reach match point and closed out a 25-23 win to take the match 3-1.
Up Next
The Wildcats will be back in Vandament Arena next weekend, hosting No. 1 Ferris State on Friday, October 23, at 6 p.m.
