Fourth set struggles continue
MARQUETTE, Mich. – On the second day of the UP North Tournament sponsored by Texas Roadhouse, the Northern Michigan Wildcats took a 1-0 lead over the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs with a 25-19 opening set win, but fell in four sets.
Northern was strong in the first, recording 13 kills while hitting .238 to UMD’s .098. But Duluth had the answer, closing the final three sets 25-17, 25-17, and 25-9. They hit .500, .333, and .476 in those sets, respectively.
The Wildcats were led by KC Fortune with 14 kills while Kaylie McIntosh added a dozen. Duluth’s Kenzie Kiminski led the match with 16. UMD made a difference on the serve, recording 10 aces to NMU’s one.
How it Happened
Minnesota Duluth came out strong, jumping ahead 6-3 in the first set. Laynie Russell recorded NMU’s first kill, but the Bulldogs kept pressing, extending the lead to 10-6 and forcing an NMU timeout. Larsen Bonnstetter’s block helped NMU hang within two at 12-10 by the midway point.
A trio of kills from Kaylie McIntosh forced a UMD timeout with the set at 14. A Russell kill gave NMU its first lead since 1-0, and two more McIntosh kills fueled a 7-0 run that pushed the Wildcats ahead 18-14. UMD answered with four straight kills in a high-octane stretch, but NMU’s offense kept finding its rhythm, closing out the set 25-21 on an overturned challenge.
Duluth again jumped out to a 6-3 lead to open the second set. A Bonnstetter block and a well-timed kill from Allie Barlow kept NMU within range, but the Bulldogs maintained their cushion at 12-7 near the midpoint, prompting an NMU timeout. UMD stretched the lead to 19-11, forcing NMU’s second timeout of the set. Duluth closed it out 25-17, finishing the set hitting .500.
NMU opened the third set with a block from Anna O’Keefe and Bonnstetter, building a 7-3 lead. But UMD answered quickly, reeling off nine straight points to take a 13-8 lead. After NMU had briefly led 8-4, the Bulldogs went on an extended 16-4 run, forcing an NMU timeout down 20-12. NMU scored the next three points to threaten a comeback, but UMD closed out the set 25-17 to take a 2-1 match lead.
Duluth carried its momentum into the fourth set, opening with the first three points before a KC Fortune kill got NMU on the board. NMU then trailed 10-4 as the Bulldogs looked to close out the match. Two more UMD blocks and continued pressure forced a second NMU timeout down 14-4, and a 10-0 run pushed the margin to 17-4. UMD closed out the match 25-9 to complete the four-set win.
Up Next
Northern will complete its competition in the UP North Volleyball Tournament on Saturday, August 29, when they host Tiffin at 4:30 p.m. in the final match of four on the day at Vandament Arena.
