MARQUETTE, Mich. – The first chapter of the 2026-27 rivalry between Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech is set for Tuesday, as the Wildcats welcome the Huskies to Vandament Arena for a 6 p.m. volleyball matchup.

The White Out returns to Vandament Arena, with the first 50 students receiving a free white NMU T-shirt. All fans are encouraged to wear white as the Wildcats and Huskies meet for the first time this season.

The Wildcats split last weekend, defeating Davenport in four sets before falling to Saginaw Valley State in four. The Huskies were swept by No. 1 Ferris State but bounced back with a sweep of Davenport. NMU has won four straight over their UP rival, which each of the last three coming in five sets.

The match can be listened to on 100.3 The Point, with Austin Graham on the call. The match will also air Friday, September 25, at 6 p.m. on Fox-UP in the "Volleyball in 60" format.


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


About the Wildcats
The Wildcats are 5-7 overall and 2-2 in league play. NMU's four-set win over Davenport saw Kaylie McIntosh lead the way with 17 kills while Anna O'Keefe added 12. McIntosh again led the Green and Gold in defeat to SVSU, totaling 19 kills while O'Keefe had 14. Allie Barlow also surpassed 3,000 career assists against SVSU, becoming just the eighth player in program history to reach that milestone.

Balance remains the approach for the 'Cats a dozen matches in. Sophomore Kaylie McIntosh leads the team with 141 kills, fifth most across the conference. Freshman Anna O'Keefe follows with 119, including a 20-kill debut against Winona State. Freshman Laynie Russell has 94 and has 9+ kills in seven of her past eight. KC Fortune is fourth on the team with 80. 

Two more 'Cats have come on as of late. Sophomore Grace Allen has 24 kills over her last three while freshman Olivia Ziemer has 34 over her last five. 

With O'Keefe, Russell, Ziemer, and Allen all seeing their first meaningful collegiate action, along with McIntosh only in her second season, the youth of the 'Cats should have fans excited for what's ahead both this season and the years ahead.

In 2025, NMU finished third in the GLIAC standings in with a 12-4 conference record. Northern was picked fourth in the 2026 GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll heading into this season, behind preseason favorites Ferris State, Grand Valley State, and Wayne State.

Northern Michigan returns 14 of the 19 players from last season's team, including All-GLIAC Second Team selections Allie Barlow and Liesl Haugen.

Barlow, a senior setter from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, recorded 377 assists this season and her 9.92 assists per set is third in the GLIAC. Barlow is approaching the 3,000 career-assist milestone, currently at 2.937 entering Friday's match. She is coming off a standout junior season in which she recorded 1,088 assists and averaged 10.06 assists per set, with both marks ranking second in the GLIAC. She sits at 3,023 career assists, eighth in program history. 

Haugen, a senior libero from Maple Grove, Minnesota, has 189 digs this season and is leading the Wildcats to 15.93 digs/set, good for third in the GLIAC. She is closing in on 1,500 career digs, sitting at fourth in program history with 1,495. She anchors a veteran defensive unit after one of the conference's top defensive seasons in 2025. A three-time GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week, Haugen recorded at least 20 digs in 12 of 24 matches and finished second in the GLIAC with 4.98 digs per set while ranking seventh with 0.40 aces per set.

Northern lost five players from last year's roster, including All-GLIAC First Team selection McKenzie Gruner. The Wildcats will look to fill those roles with a combination of returning players stepping into larger roles and five newcomers, including four freshmen and transfer Cece Huizingh.

Head coach Mike Lozier is in his 10th season at the helm in 2026. 


A Quick Look at Michigan Tech
The Huskies are 6-6 overall and 2-2 in the GLIAC. They most recently swept Davenport 30- 28, 25-21, and 25-23. The team hit .261 in the match, its second-best output this season. Overall, the Huskies are hitting .216, fifth in the GLIAC. 

Tech is led by senior Rachel Zurek, whose 202 kills lead the conference and are 10th in Division II. She has recorded double-digit kills in all but one match this season and posted a 25-kill performance against Saginaw Valley State on September 12. Freshman Kayla Heinonen (115) and junior Paige Wagner (108) have also surpassed 100 kills this season. 

Madelynn Kreider leads all GLIAC players with 488 assists this season, and her 9.96 assists/set ranks fourth. She recorded 62 assists vs. South Dakota Mines on September 4. Defensively, libero Keeley Nellis has 207 digs, good for third in the conference. 

The Huskies are in their second season under head coach Cindy Pindral after serving as an assistant head coach, assistant coach, and volunteer coach with the Huskies from 2016 to 2022. Tech finished 12-16 overall and 9-7 in the GLIAC in 2025.