This story was written by NMU Sports Information. Photo courtesy of NMU.
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HOUGHTON, Mich. - Facing a 9-5 deficit in the fifth set in a hostile environment, the Northern Michigan volleyball team stormed back with a 10-2 run to secure a thrilling come-from-behind nonconference victory over rival Michigan Tech on Thursday night at the SDC Gymnasium.
Northern dropped a tight 26-24 opener but responded with decisive 25-19 and 25-18 wins in the next two frames. Tech battled back to claim the fourth 25-22 and force a deciding fifth, but the Green and Gold persevered for a 15-11 clincher to take the match 3-2.
The Wildcats' defense anchored the effort, totaling 90 digs, the second time this season they've reached that mark. Coming off a GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week honor, libero Liesl Haugen backed it up with a career-best 38 digs, the most in the GLIAC this season and the fifth-highest single-match total in Division II this year.
The defensive dominance extended to the net, where NMU posted a season-high 10 blocks. Emilia Gulock led the way with three, while McKenzie Gruner added two more.
On the offensive side, Northern delivered a season-best 65 kills, led by freshman Kaylie McIntosh, who made her rivalry debut in style with a career-high 19 kills on a blistering .500 hitting percentage. McIntosh tallied five kills in each of the first three sets.
"I'm very proud of the way our team was able to stay focused and composed during tight moments, especially when we were a little shaky at the start of the fifth," said McIntosh. "The loud atmosphere at Tech was so much fun to play in, and I had absolutely no doubt we were going to close out the match at the end!"
She wasn't alone in the attack, as three other Wildcats finished in double figures. Kaysie Bakke and Gulock each had 13, while Gruner added 12. As a team, NMU hit .250, its third-best output of the season, while holding the Huskies to .158 with 58 kills.
Allie Barlow orchestrated the balanced offense to perfection, recording a season-high 57 assists while spreading the ball effectively across multiple hitters.
The win mirrored NMU's win at Michigan Tech last year, as they trailed 1-0, led 2-1, and ultimately hung on for the victory over five-set win. In each match, several 'Cats recorded career-best performances. That is now five straight wins for the Wildcats, who are now 6-9 on the season.
The following story was written by Michigan Tech University Athletics
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech volleyball team had its four-match winning streak snapped after a 3-2 loss to Northern Michigan on Thursday at the SDC Gym. The Wildcats took the non-conference contest 24-26, 25-19, 25-18, 22-25, and 15-11.
"We have to be more well-rounded," Tech coach Cindy Pindral said. "We can't rely on just a few players or one specific area to do the work for us. It seemed like we took our foot off the gas in that second set, and there's no team that wants to beat us more than Northern.
"We have an important match on Sunday. It'll be very untraditional travel, but we have to move on and rebound from tonight."
The Huskies jumped out to the lead after a 26-24 win in set one that saw eight ties and three lead changes. Jacqueline Yancy and Rachel Zurek each had eight kills in the opening frame. Yancy twice got it to setpoint, and then Paige Wagner had a solo block for the final point.
NMU (6-9, 4-2 GLIAC) knotted it up in the second, 25-19 after never trailing. The Wildcats used a 5-1 run in the middle part of the set to get the cushion they needed. Kaylie McIntosh had five kills in the set. Northern carried the momentum out of the break and took a 2-1 lead after winning the third 25-18. The visitors didn't trail for the second straight set.
Tech forced game five after winning 25-22 in the fourth. The Huskies played well in the late stages of the third and carried the energy into the fourth, leading by as many as six. NMU made a late rally, staving off a pair of setpoints before Paige Wagner put down the winner. Madelyn Torola had six kills in the fourth.
The fifth set had four ties and three lead changes. Tech led 9-5 before NMU rallied with a 5-0 run and then finished the match on a 10-2 rally to win the set 15-11.
Madelyn Torola tallied a season-best 18 kills while hitting .341. Rachel Zurek also had 18 kills, while Paige Wagner added nine kills and five blocks. Tess Hayes recorded 27 assists and Madelynn Kreider added 23. Julia Fledderjohn led with 28 digs.
Kylie McIntosh had a match-high 19 kills while three other Wildcats had double-digit kills. Allie Barlow tallied 57 assists, and Liesl Haugen notched 38 digs.
Tech is now 7-7 overall and 4-2 in the GLIAC and travels to Purdue Northwest Sunday. First serve between the Huskies and Pride is set for a 3 p.m. Eastern in the only meeting of the season.
