Gruner, Gulock, McIntosh combined for 44 kills
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Northern Michigan volleyball team picked up its third straight victory, and first on the road this season, by outlasting Saginaw Valley State in a five-set battle on Friday night.
The Wildcats topped the Cardinals 25-19, 13-25, 25-18, 25-27, and 15-9 to improve to 3-2 in GLIAC play and 4-9 overall.
Northern’s attack was firing on all cylinders, producing a season-best .280 hitting percentage with 64 kills. For the third time this year, balance was the key to victory, as four Wildcats finished with double-digit kills. Senior McKenzie Gruner led the way with a career-high 16 on an efficient .394 clip, marking her third straight match with 13 or more. Gruner also added 1.5 blocks.
“I am incredibly proud of this team for getting it done tonight,” said Gruner following the win. “Especially in another fifth set, there wasn’t a second where I thought we weren’t going to win given the determination on everyone’s face. We are still not finished though, we have to get it done at LSSU tomorrow.”
Freshman standout Kaylie McIntosh and redshirt sophomore Emila Gulock chipped in 14 apiece, each setting a new career benchmark while hitting .333. Madison York rounded out the group with 10 kills. SVSU’s Rachel Townsend led all players with 27.
The supporting cast also shined, with Allie Barlow dishing out a season-best 56 assists to orchestrate the offense, while libero Liesl Haugen anchored the defense with 25 digs, one of four ‘Cats with double-digits in the category.
How it Happened
Northern Michigan came out strong in the opening set, riding five early kills to establish control. The Wildcats’ offense clicked throughout, highlighted by a six-point run capped by three straight kills from McKenzie Gruner to push the lead to 18-10. SVSU clawed back within three late, but Northern shut the door behind kills from Gruner and Kaylie McIntosh and an ace by Taylor Smaka, taking the set 25-19. The Wildcats hit .385 with 17 kills, with Gruner leading the way with eight.
Saginaw Valley flipped the script in the second. A 13-0 surge put the Cardinals firmly in command, and they went on to even the match with a decisive 25-13 win, hitting .389 with 17 kills of their own.
The Wildcats quickly regrouped in the third. Madison York set the tone with a kill on the opening point, and after SVSU gained a brief 6-3 edge, NMU answered with a run to reclaim momentum. The set stayed tight midway through, but freshman Kaylie McIntosh caught fire. She delivered three kills in a crucial stretch to give NMU a one-point edge, then later strung together four straight to push the Wildcats ahead 20-17. From there, Northern closed on a five-point burst, punctuated by McIntosh’s ninth kill of the set, to seal a 25-18 win and a 2-1 match lead. The Wildcats hit an impressive .457 in the frame, showcasing their best offensive rhythm of the night.
The fourth set got off to a fast start for the Wildcats, who opened with a 4-0 run to take an early lead. The back-and-forth pace from the third set continued, but a 6-1 surge from the Cardinals put them ahead 12-9 at the halfway point. McIntosh stepped up again for NMU, delivering two aces during a crucial 7-0 run that pushed the Wildcats back in front, 17-13. With a 22-17 lead, Northern saw SVSU rally with six straight points to seize the advantage. McIntosh responded with a timely kill out of the timeout, and a follow-up from Gulock extended the set to extra points, but the Cardinals ultimately edged the Wildcats 27-25, forcing a decisive fifth set.
Northern wasted no time seizing control in the decisive frame, using a four-point burst to jump ahead 4-1. The Wildcats carried that cushion into the side switch at 8-5, then extended it behind another pair of kills from Kaylie McIntosh to force a Cardinal timeout at 11-7. From there, NMU never looked back, putting together a four-point run to secure the 15-9 victory. The Wildcats hit an efficient .333 in the final set to finish off the win.
Up Next
Northern will return to the Upper Peninsula, stopping in Sault Ste. Marie for a Saturday, October 4 matinee against Lake Superior State. First serve against the Lakers is scheduled for 4 p.m.
