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SATURDAY MATCH RECAP---NMU 3 GRAND VALLEY STATE 2

ALLENDALE, Mich. - The NMU Volleyball team took on the Grand Valley State Lakers Saturday afternoon.

FIRST SET
The Lakers claimed the first four points of the set. A kill and two aces by Jacqueline Smith allowed the 'Cats to tie it up at four. 

Rayne Thompson grabbed the lead for the 'Cats and they went on to gain three more points. The score was now 8-5.

Moments later, the 'Cats went on a five-point run to double the score over the Lakers, 12-6.

Lizzy Stark found an open spot on the court to place a kill and Rayne Thompson followed. The score was now 17-12.

Grand Valley State tried to make a comeback and tied the score at 19. An attack error by GVSU gave NMU the one up. 

The 'Cats pushed through and took set one 25-23.

SET TWO

Jacqueline Smith opened up the scoring for the 'Cats, but the Lakers quickly tied it up.

Grand Valley State pulled through to take the lead 2-3. An attack error on the Lakers made the score even once again.
 

Thanks to Lizzy Stark, the 'Cats took the lead.
 

A major block by Rayne Thompson and Meghan Meyer brought the score to 7-3. 
 

A few rallies later, Meghan Meyer and Lizzy Stark earned points for the team. 

At a score of 9-6, Meghan Meyer and Lauren Van Remortel shut the ball down to tally another point. 

The ball went back and forth for a few more plays. Rayne Thompson posted her fifth kill on the campaign to widen the lead to 15-12. Caylie Barlage quickly followed with an ace. 

Smith and Meyer closed out the second set, 25-19.

SET THREE

Olivia Webber started the third set with a point. A ball-handling error by the Lakers gave the team another. 

Moments later, Webber tallied another kill on the court. The score was now 3-1. Smith quickly followed adding another. 

Grand Valley State tried to make a comeback, but Meyer shut it down tallying one. 

The Lakers had a block to tie the match at seven. They took the lead but crumbled with a ball-handling error. It was now a tie match at eight. 

A block by Stark and Webber widened the gap to 11-9. 

The Lakers retaliated and tied at 12, but Thompson had other ideas. The 'Cats took the lead 13-12.

A service error gave the 'Cats the ball and Meyer served up an ace. 

The Lakers took the lead, which forced NMU to take a timeout at a score of 16-19.

Lauren Van Remortel stopped their streak tipping it over the net. 

The 'Cats tried to secure the match in the third, but the Lakers took it 19-25.

SET FOUR

A major block by Smith and Webber opened up the fourth for the 'Cats.

NMU climbed the board earning three. The score was now 4-1. 

Lizzy Stark tallied two kills from Lauren Van Remortel to bring the score to 6-2.

Another block by Van Remortel and Meyer pushed the score to 9-6. 

Grand Valley State made a comeback to tie at 11. They then went on to climb the score to 11-16.

A kill by Webber stopped them in their tracks.

NMU called a timeout at 12-18, and the Lakers climbed to 12-21. 

Stark killed a point to make it 13-21.

Van Remortel and Meyer tallied a block, but it was not enough. The Lakers took the fourth 14-25.

SET FIVE

The Lakers opened up the fifth with momentum and scored the first three points. 

Smith and Stark found open spots on the court to bring the score to 2-3.

A service error on the Lakers gave the ball back to the 'Cats and Stark blocked the return to take the lead, 5-4. 

Moments later, Thompson tallied another kill on the night to bring the score to 6-5. 

With the teams switching sides at a tie of eight, Smith came down and smashed two on the court. The 'Cats took the lead. 

Jacqueline Smith snagged the team an ace to earn the 12th point. 

The points climbed and an error by the Lakers secured the win for the Wildcats.

HIGHLIGHTS

Stark posted 15 kills on the night.

Smith and Barlage both had three aces.

Meghan Meyer tallied seven blocks.

FRIDAY MATCH RECAP---NMU 3, DAVENPORT 2
 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - NMU Volleyball played an exciting match coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win against the Davenport Panthers Friday night.

SET ONE

Olivia Webber opened up the match with a strategic kill on the court. The 'Cats continued to climb until, bringing the score to 3-1. 
 

The Panthers retaliated and placed a kill on the court. Webber and Lizzie Stark shut that retaliation down, climbing the score to 5-2. 
 

The 'Cats continued to lead, with Jacqueline Smith, Olivia Webber, and Rayne Thompson registering points on the night. 
 

The Panthers decided to make a comeback and tie the set at 20. 
 

Stark and Smith continued to add points while Davenport snagged the set, 26-24.

SET TWO

Davenport opened up the second set with a point, but Olivia Webber answered back and made it even at one.
 

Points were being tossed back and forth until it was a tie at four. An ace by Caylie Barlage took the lead for NMU, 5-4. This allowed the 'Cats to go on a five-point run. 
 

Davenport was sneaky and came back to earn points and square the set at 16. An attack error by Webber allowed them to have the one up. 
 

Meghan Meyer earned the lead, once again, with a service ace to bring the score to 22-21. 

It was neck and neck going into the final points, but ultimately the Panthers took the second, 24-26. 

SET THREE

Jacqueline Smith had an immaculate kill to open up the third set. The 'Cats went on to earn two more unanswered points. The score was now 3-0. 
 

Points Later, Lizzy Stark earned three in a row to take the lead for the 'Cats 7-1.
 

Davenport tried to use their defense, but Rayne Thompson was a force to be reckoned with. She tallied a well-placed kill on the board. The 'Cats were leading 8-2. 
 

Stark and Meyer tallied points to carry the lead to 11-6. 
 

NMU was too strong of a force in the third and took the win, 25-13.

SET FOUR

Davenport took the first two points of the set, but Webber and Thompson quickly made it even. 
 

The 'Cats went on a five-point streak to widen the lead to 9-5. 
 

DU fought back to tie the set at nine but had a ball-handling error to give NMU the lead again, 10-9.
 

The set got intense midway through with long rallies and points on both sides. NMU quickly fell to a deficit, 16-20, but came back to tally four. They still trailed 19-22. 
 

Moments later, the team went on a seven-point run, ending with an ace by Madeline Crowley. 

The 'Cats won the set 25-23.

SET FIVE

Jacqueline Smith tallied the first point of set five. 
 

With the points climbing to a score of 2-2. Rayne Thompson grabbed the lead with a strategic kill on the court. Meghan Meyer also aided the score. 
 

After a few quick points, the 'Cats were in the lead, 7-6. Three errors from the Panthers allowed the 'Cats to widen the gap to 10-6. 
 

With strong skills from Smith and Thompson, NMU was able to secure the win with a score of 15-9.

HIGHLIGHTS

Jacqueline Smith tallied 1000 kills in her career.

Lauren Van Remortel had 49 assists on the campaign. 

Caylie Barlage posted five service aces.

Meghan Meyer earned six blocks.