Victories over Cal State East Bay and Winona State
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Michigan Tech volleyball team earned a pair of sweeps on Saturday to wrap up the weekend in the UP North Volleyball Tournament. The Huskies swept Cal State East Bay in the morning match and Winona State in the afternoon to improve to 2-2 on the season.
“We had a great day of quality play and learning experiences against two formidable teams,” Tech coach Cindy Pindral said. “Cal State East Bay really tested us with their tough serving, scrappy defense, and high-energy style of play, but we were able to pull out a tightly contested win with our relentless offense and some well-timed defensive saves.
“Winona State’s net play was aggressive, but we were able to get creative with our scoring to pull ahead in each set and come away with quality wins. Credit to our team for focusing on quality first contacts and sticking to our game plans for both matches. We are getting more comfortable with our lineup, and I am looking forward to our next matches.”
Tech defeated the Pioneers 25-16, 25-23, and 25-22 for its first win of the season. The Black and Gold tallied 10 more kills and outhit the opponent .219 to .081
Rachel Zurek led the Huskies with 14 kills and hit .323, while Kayla Heinonen (7) and Madelyn Torola (6) also had over five kills in a balanced offensive attack. Madelynn Kreider tallied 31 assists, while Brynn Erickson (12) and Amelia Albers (11) led in digs.
The second match saw 14 ties and seven lead changes, but the Huskies never dropped a set, earning their second sweep of the day 25-21, 25-18, and 25-17. Tech hit .303 as a team and forced the Warriors into .132 and 24 errors.
Rachel Zurek again led the way, hitting .366 with 17 kills, including nine in the first set alone. Madelyn Torola hit .440 and tallied 14 kills, with six coming in the second. Kayla Heinonen added 11 kills and nine digs. Madelynn Kreider set the offense with 36 assists and notched a match-high 17 digs. Brynn Erickson was also in double figures defensively with 12 digs.
“Rachel Zurek was incredible offensively for us this entire weekend, but today she really put on a show,” added Pindral. “Some of the swings she took in out-of-system situations were next-level, and she backed it up with some big-time blocks. Her passing was excellent as well, so it is exciting to watch her grow into a very well-rounded outside hitter.
“Kayla Heinonen and Maddie Torola both had great showings as well and came up with a lot of offense today. Both players bring so much consistency and level-headed play that it helps keep us marching.
“Brynn Erickson was so tough and disciplined on defense and serve receive today. She turned so many hard attacks into easy digs that kept us in-system.”
Tech travels to Colorado Springs to compete in the Mountain Lion Classic. The Huskies will face host UCCS on Thursday, St. Edwards and South Dakota Mines on Friday, and Midwestern State on Saturday.
