MARQUETTE, Mich. – With two matches left in the regular season, the Northern Michigan volleyball team (11-14, 7-7 GLIAC) is among several teams still battling for a coveted top four seed in the upcoming GLIAC Tournament. 

After two losses this past weekend against Grand Valley State and Wayne State, the Wildcats will now hit the road, looking to end the regular season on a high note. NMU will first visit Michigan Tech on Tuesday, November 3, at 6 p.m. The regular season finale will be at Parkside on Friday, November 6, at 7 p.m. ET. 


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


Last Time Out
The Wildcats closed out their 2026 regular-season home schedule last weekend, dropping a 3-0 decision to Grand Valley State on Friday before falling 3-2 to Wayne State on Senior Night. Against the Lakers, NMU was led by seven kills apiece from KC Fortune, Anna O'Keefe, and Kaylie McIntosh, while Allie Barlow tallied 23 assists. The Wildcats made a late push in the third set, tying the score at 23-23 before GVSU secured the final two points to complete the sweep.

On Saturday, the Wildcats honored seven seniors before taking on Wayne State, with McIntosh leading the attack with 17 kills and Fortune adding 14. Barlow dished out 39 assists. NMU took a 2-1 match lead after strong performances in the second and third sets, including a 14-6 start to the third, but the Warriors responded to force a fifth set. The Wildcats rallied to take an 8-7 lead in the deciding frame before Wayne State closed on a run to earn the 3-2 victory.


About the 'Cats
Senior setter Allie Barlow leads the NMU offense and was named the GLIAC Setter of the Week twice this season. Barlow has 921, ranking third in the GLIAC. She has also been one of the best in the conference at the service line, ranking first in aces (48) and aces per set (0.51), which both are top-50 marks nationally.  Her seven aces at Lake Superior State on October 3 are also a high point among all league matches. 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 301 kills this season, ranking sixth 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. 

NMU has also seen significant offensive production from a pair of freshmen. Anna O'Keefe is second on the team with 221 kills, including a season-high 20 kills in her debut against Winona State. Laynie Russell isn't far behind with 200 kills along with a team-high 57 blocks and .284 attack percentage. 


A Look at Michigan Tech
At 8-6 in the GLIAC, the Huskies are one game ahead of the Wildcats and are also battling for home-court advantage for the GLIAC Quarterfinals. Michigan Tech is 4-3 at home, including a five-set win over Wayne State and a four-set defeat to Grand Valley State last weekend. 

The Huskies are led by Rachel Zurek, whose 397 kills lead the GLIAC and are top-10 in Division II. 

Northern has won five straight over Tech, including four straight coming in five sets. 


A Look at Parkside
Another team battling for home-court advantage, the Rangers are tied with the Wildcats at 7-7 in conference play. Parkside is 7-2 on their home court, including a sweep of Roosevelt on October 27.

Parkside is led by two-time GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year Natalie Harris. Her 5.86 digs per set is third in the country. 

NMU was victorious 3-1 in their previous meeting this season.