Wildcats will be third seed for GLIAC Tournament
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan (NMU) Wildcats (15-13, 12-4 GLIAC) grinded out an exciting four-set victory over the visiting Cardinals of Saginaw Valley State (SVSU) (8-20, 2-14 GLIAC) on Saturday.
With the win, the Wildcats have secured the No. 3 seed in the GLIAC Tournament and will host a GLIAC Quarterfinal match in Vandament Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
McKenzie Gruner led the attack with 19 kills and a hit percentage of .531 while also contributing 5 blocks on the defensive end. Meanwhile, Sydney Bartels (13), Emilia Gulock (11), Kaysie Bakke (10), and Madison York (10) also notched double-digit kills to round out a balanced attack.
Allie Barlow recorded 55 assists on the day, and Liesl Haugen led the defensive effort with 19 digs. Bartels and Barlow would also add 17 and 10 digs of their own, respectively, for a pair of double-doubles.
How it Happened
The Wildcats would make their presence known early as back-to-back kills from Bakke ignited a 4-0 run at the start of the first, but SVSU responded with a 5-0 run of their own to take a 7-4 lead. Both teams would then trade points, but NMU was able to take control of the set with runs of 7-1 and 5-1 midway through the set to claim a 19-14 advantage that was capped off with back-to-back aces from Haugen. Gruner would then assert herself with three more kills to help close out the set 25-18.
The Cardinals found themselves with the early lead in the second set, but the Wildcats were able to knot up the score at 9-9. After trading a few points, NMU was able to use a 6-0 run that saw five different Wildcats earn points to jump out in front 16-11. SVSU managed to climb back within three, but NMU closed out the set with a 5-0 run to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
Both teams battled early in the third set with neither side yielding an inch. The Wildcats were eventually able to build a four-point lead midway through the set, but SVSU countered with a 5-1 run to tie up the score at 17-17. A pair of aces from Barlow had her team back in front, but a 7-0 scoring run by the Cardinals flipped the script, and despite the Wildcats fending off three set points to get back within one, SVSU managed to steal the set by a narrow margin of 25-23.
Both teams traded points early in the fourth set, but the Cardinals were able to jump out in front with a 7-1 run. However, the Wildcats stormed back with a 12-2 run of their own that featured multiple kills from Bakke and Gruner to have NMU leading 18-14. The Cardinals answered with a 5-0 run not too long after to go ahead 21-20, but a kill from Gulock and an ace from Barlow put the Wildcats back in front 23-21. The Cardinals would then take the next three points to earn a set-point opportunity, but York and Gulock were ready with the block to tie up the score at 24-24. The Cardinals were able to earn two more set-point chances, but clutch kills from York and Bakke fended them off. A pair of kills from Gruner would grant the Wildcats multiple match-point opportunities, but this time, it was the Cardinals that had an answer at every turn. SVSU was then able to earn a fourth chance to take the set at 30-29, but Gulock put the ball away to knot up the score at 30-30. However, the Wildcats dug deep and earned the next two points with kills from Bartels and Gulock to grind out the set by a score of 32-30 and close out an exciting 3-1 match to wrap up the regular season.
Up Next
The Wildcats will now turn their attention to the postseason where they will host an opening round matchup in Vandament Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 19 with the first serve scheduled for 6 p.m.
