MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan volleyball team (6-8, 3-3 GLIAC) is set to begin a split weekend, hosting the Parkside Rangers (10-4, 4-3 GLIAC) on Friday, October 2, at 5 p.m. before traveling to Lake Superior State on Saturday, October 3, at 3 p.m.

After a thrilling five-set victory over Michigan Tech last Tuesday, NMU traveled to Grand Valley State on Saturday, where they fell in three sets in their most recent outing.

With four teams, including NMU and Parkside currently vying for the coveted fourth seed in the conference, this weekend will be an important one for the Wildcats as they reach the halfway point of the conference slate following this weekend's matches. 


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 Kamryn Duffield
"We're excited to play competitive volleyball and on our home court. Our conference top to bottom is really competitive, and we have to make sure we are prepared and playing our brand of volleyball."



Last Time Out
NMU fell to Grand Valley State 3-0 on Saturday in Allendale. Kaylie McIntosh led all players with 13 kills, while Laynie Russell added 11. Allie Barlow recorded a double-double with 31 assists and 10 digs, while KC Fortune and Liesl Haugen each added 12 digs.

The Wildcats battled throughout the match, including a back-and-forth opening set that saw NMU rally from a 23-18 deficit to take a 24-23 lead before GVSU edged out a 27-25 win. The Lakers then closed the match with 25-19 wins in the second and third sets.


About the Wildcats
Senior setter Allie Barlow leads a balanced Northern offense and is coming off a GLIAC Setter of the Week honor. Barlow totaled 92 assists across NMU's two matches last week, including a season-high 61 in the Wildcats' five-set victory over Michigan Tech. She added 23 digs, five kills, two aces and two blocks over the two matches. Barlow has 556 assists this season and averages 10.30 assists per set, ranking second in the GLIAC. She recently surpassed 3,000 career assists, becoming just the eighth player in program history to reach the milestone.

Junior Kaylie McIntosh leads the Wildcats with 182 kills, ranking fourth in the GLIAC, while her 4.1 kills per set in conference play is second in the league. McIntosh is coming off a career-high 28-kill performance against Michigan Tech last week. Freshmen Anna O'Keefe and Laynie Russell have also provided significant offensive production, with O'Keefe recording 141 kills and Russell adding 117. Russell has recorded at least nine kills in nine of her last 10 matches, while fellow freshman Olivia Ziemer has contributed 42 kills over her last seven matches.

Senior libero Liesl Haugen anchors the Wildcats' defense with 217 digs this season. Haugen recently surpassed 1,500 career digs, moving into fourth in program history. A three-time GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week in 2025, Haugen ranked second in the conference last season with 4.98 digs per set.

NMU returns 14 players from last season's squad, including Barlow and Haugen, who were both All-GLIAC Second Team selections in 2025. The Wildcats finished third in the GLIAC standings last season at 12-4 and were picked fourth in the 2026 GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Head coach Mike Lozier is in his 10th season leading the program.


A Look at Parkside
At 10-4 overall, the Rangers are receiving votes in the latest AVCA Poll. Parkside visited Purdue Northwest on Tuesday, where they rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Lions in five. 

Senior libero Natalie Harris leads the way for the Rangers. Her 309 digs and 5.62 digs per set are both tops in the league and her digs per set are top-10 in Division II. She is the reigning two-time GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year and has three Defensive Player of the Week honors already this season. 

Offensively, Avary Polavin leads the charge with 202 kills, followed by Sierra Kilbourn (169) and Emily Zaper (130). Polavin has recorded 11+ kills in all but two matches this season. 

The Rangers finished 2025 at 19-9 overall and 9-7 in the GLIAC. They defeated the Wildcats 3-1 in the GLIAC Quarterfinals after the teams split in the regular season.


A Look at Lake Superior State
The Lakers are 3-11 overall and 0-6 in conference play. LSSU has been swept in four of the six GLIAC matches, while they went to five sets against Wayne State. 

The team is led by Elis Rizzoli with 109 kills and 149 digs, and by Morgan Deming with 37 blocks.
 
The Lakers are led by first-year head coach Chelsea Cooke-Tripp. NMU has won nine straight over their UP rival, with the last three ending in sweeps.