Bartels paces Wildcats with 11 kills
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – In its second GLIAC match of the season, the Northern Michigan volleyball team fell to No. 12 Ferris State in straight sets, 19-25, 23-25, and 18-25.
Northern had its second-best offensive output of the season, hitting .215, but Ferris State held a .318 attack percentage and had nine more kills than NMU (44-35). Northern was paced by Sydney Bartels with 11 kills on an efficient .276 clip. FSU’s Emma Bleecher also had 11 kills.
Both teams had success on the service line, with FSU edging NMU 10-6 in aces. Kaylie McIntosh had three for the Wildcats. The Bulldogs controlled the net with seven blocks to NMU’s one.
Allie Barlow posted 31 assists while Lauren Cardwell led the way on the back line with 16 digs.
The Wildcats have now lost nine straight, with the last eight coming via sweep. They are now 1-9 on the season.
How it Happened
The Wildcats started strong with an early 3-0 run to jump ahead 3-1. The Bulldogs quickly got into it with the next seven points, but NMU fought back soon after with a 5-0 run to close its deficit to 11-10.
Staying within striking distance, the Bulldogs went on another lengthy run of six straight to lead 19-12. NMU kept fighting, going on a 5-1 run with three kills from Bartels to close it to four, but FSU finished out the set 25-19. Bartels had five of NMU’s eight kills in the set.
Northern looked strong again to start the second, going on a 5-0 run to lead 7-4 in the early stages. A lot of back-and-forth ensued in the middle of the set. Ferris State gained the advantage and led 23-20, but NMU scored three straight on kills from Bartels and McKenzie Gruner (x2). The Bulldogs were able to answer with the final two for a tight 25-23 win. They hit .289 with NMU not far back at .261.
A trio of 3-0 runs early in the third from the Bulldogs gave them a 9-3 lead. Northern hung around, but couldn’t get the gap to less than four as FSU secured the sweep with a 25-18 in the final frame.
Up Next
After 10 matches on the road to start the season, the Wildcats will welcome Parkside to Vandament Arena on Friday, September 26, for the home opener. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
