Wildcats drop first set, win the next three
MARQUETTE, Mich. – Trailing 24-17 in the fourth set, the Northern Michigan Wildcats mounted an improbable comeback, scoring seven straight points and overcoming nine set points from Davenport to win the set 28-26 and the match 3-1.
First it was Kaylie McIntosh, who put down a kill to keep the Wildcats alive. Grace Allen followed with a kill, Anna O’Keefe added a block and Davenport committed an attack error. Allen struck again, and two more Panther attack errors completed the seven-point run, pulling NMU even at 24-24. Davenport managed two more set points from there, but the Wildcats denied them both, with Allen eventually putting down the match-winning kill to complete the incredible comeback.
Allen fueled the late charge, recording all seven of her kills in the fourth set, including the match-winner. It was the only set she played, but she made the most of it, hitting .500 to help will the Wildcats back into the match.
Kaylie McIntosh finished with a team-high 17 kills, hitting .324. Anna O’Keefe added 12 and Laynie Russell chipped in another 11. Allie Barlow handed out 45 assists, while Liesl Haugen had a team-high four aces and 17 digs. The Wildcats tied a season high with 10 aces, while their .218 attack percentage was the third-best mark of the season.
“I am incredibly proud of this team and their fight,” said Mike Lozier following the win. “All week I challenged their mental toughness, and to see them have that type of response, especially in the fourth set was special. Our outsides really need to be shouted out. Down the stretch they were playing fearless, and Davenport just did not have an answer. That was a special win for sure.”
Davenport opened the match with a 25-22 victory in the first set. Northern found its footing in the second, handling the Panthers 25-18. NMU faced a 22-18 deficit in the third but scored four straight and eventually won the set 28-26. The ‘Cats then one-upped themselves in the final frame, overcoming a 24-17 deficit with seven straight points to claim another 28-26 set win.
The Panthers were led by Abby Alan with a match-high 18 kills. They hit .218 offensively and recorded nine aces in the defeat.
How it Happened
Northern opened the match with kills from Kaylie McIntosh and Anna O’Keefe, but Davenport answered by taking six of the next seven points to build a 6-3 advantage.
O’Keefe helped swing the momentum back to the Wildcats with a block and back-to-back kills, putting NMU in front 11-10. McIntosh followed with two consecutive aces as the Wildcats rattled off four straight points to force a Davenport timeout with NMU ahead 13-10. The Panthers responded with three straight to even the set at 13-13.
Olivia Ziemer then delivered two kills before Liesl Haugen added an ace, and Laynie Russell followed with back-to-back kills to put the Wildcats ahead 20-18.
Davenport eventually regained the lead at 22-21 and forced an NMU timeout. The Panthers went on a 6-1 run to reach set point at 24-21 before finishing the set, 25-22. The Wildcats’ three freshmen accounted for nine of NMU’s 12 kills in the set.
Allie Barlow opened the second with an ace as NMU jumped ahead 6-3. The freshmen continued to make their presence felt, as O’Keefe added a kill and Russell followed with a block to push the advantage to 8-4.
Davenport called timeout trailing 11-6, and McIntosh later recorded her third ace of the match as Northern maintained a five-point cushion at 16-11. Another Panther timeout came at 18-12 as the Wildcats continued to control the set.
NMU stretched its advantage to 21-13 before Davenport mounted a late push with four straight points to cut the deficit to 21-17 and force an NMU timeout. The Wildcats answered immediately, however, as Russell and McIntosh put down kills to close out the set, 25-18, and tie the match 1-1.
Davenport came out firing in the third set, using a six-point run that included four aces from Julia Frederick to take an 8-5 lead. The Panthers maintained their advantage through the middle of the set, leading 15-11.
McIntosh then became the first Wildcat to reach double-digit kills, helping cut the deficit to 17-15. O’Keefe later recorded her 10th kill of the night with NMU trailing 22-19. Haugen delivered back-to-back aces during a four-point Wildcat run that tied the set at 22-22. Davenport reached set point at 24-23, but Ziemer answered with a kill to keep NMU alive. The Wildcats then reached set point at 25-24, again at 26-25 and once more at 27-26. On the fourth opportunity, Northern Michigan finally finished the job, taking the set 28-26.
The fourth set was a back-and-forth battle from the opening point, with the teams trading points and being tied at every point through 10. NMU finally created its first multi-point advantage of the set at 12-10 before a four-point run featuring four different Wildcats forced a Davenport timeout with NMU ahead 13-10.
The Panthers responded with a 6-0 run to take a 17-14 lead and eventually reached set point at 24-17. With the match seemingly headed for a fifth set, the Wildcats refused to let it end.
The Wildcats scored seven consecutive points to erase the deficit and tie the set at 24-24. Davenport answered to move back in front 25-24, but Grace Allen delivered her sixth kill of the set to extend the match.
After another Davenport point, NMU reached match point of its own at 27-26. Allen came through once again, recording her seventh kill of the set to seal the 28-26 victory and complete the dramatic four-set comeback win.
Up Next
The Wildcats will look to make it a 2-0 weekend on Saturday, September 19, against the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals. First serve is set for 4 p.m.
