3-1 over Purdue Northwest
HAMMOND, Ind. – The Northern Michigan volleyball team opened conference play with a 3-1 victory against the Purdue Northwest Lions on Friday night. NMU fell 20-25 in the first, but responded with 25-17, 27-25, and 25-22 victories over the next three sets.
NMU largely dug out of a 19-10 deficit in set one. Despite the loss, NMU closed the frame on a 10-6 run. That momentum carried into the second set, one in which they never trailed. The ‘Cats then fell behind 3-0 in the third but rallied to build a lead and hold on for a win in extra points. NMU faced a bigger 6-0 deficit in the fourth, but once again grabbed the lead by mid-set and held on down the stretch.
The Green and Gold were all about balance to open GLIAC play. Freshman Anna O’Keefe led the attack with 12 kills, hitting .407. KC Fortune followed with 10 kills, while two more freshmen, Olivia Ziemer and Laynie Russell, each added nine.
Allie Barlow had 45 assists to quarterback the offense while also adding 11 digs. Liesl Haugen led the defensive backline with 16 digs, Fortune added 15, and Ziemer 13. Fortune also had an impressive showing at the net with four solo blocks.
The Wildcats put down 55 kills hitting .209 while the Lions managed 49 kills at a .196 clip. Northern made its mark at the service line, doubling up PNW in aces 10-5. Haugen and Barlow each had three.
For the eighth time in 10 seasons under Mike Lozier, the Wildcats started conference play on the right foot with a win. NMU (4-5, 1-0) improved to 11-1 all-time against the Lions (2-6, 0-1).
How it Happened
Haugen opened the match with two big digs on the first point, and Kaylie McIntosh capped the exchange with a kill. But Purdue Northwest took control from there, scoring four straight to force an NMU timeout with a 7-3 lead. The Lions kept pulling away, pushing the margin to 13-5 and prompting NMU’s final timeout of the set.
NMU regrouped with four straight points. A big block from Larsen Bonnstetter fueled the run, but PNW answered right back with four of its own to push the lead to 17-9. NMU wasn’t finished, as two kills from O’Keefe and three straight from Russell sparked a 5-0 run that closed the gap to 22-20, but PNW held on to close out the set 25-20.
NMU carried that late-set momentum into the second, jumping ahead 7-3 before PNW answered with four straight to tie it. The Wildcats responded in kind, scoring six of the next seven to lead 13-8 and force a PNW timeout. An ace from Haugen extended the lead to 17-11 and prompted a second Lions timeout, and NMU cruised from there, closing out the set 25-17 on a McIntosh kill.
PNW opened the third set with a 3-0 lead, but NMU answered with three straight of its own. A solo block from O’Keefe helped spark the response, and KC Fortune caught fire with three kills and an ace in a five-point span to push NMU ahead 9-6. The Wildcats extended the lead to 15-9 on a 4-0 run, but the Lions weren’t done, answering with a run of their own to close within one at 16-15 before tying it at 18.
From there, NMU turned to Olivia Ziemer, whose four kills in the 20s kept pace with PNW as the set pushed to extra points. A Fortune block gave NMU set point, but the Lions fought it off to extend the set further. Haugen finally settled it, delivering a pinpoint ace to win the set 27-25 and put NMU ahead 2-1.
PNW came out with intent in the fourth, opening with a 6-0 run, but NMU clawed back with four straight to get back in it. A kill from O’Keefe, a block from Fortune, and an ace from Cece Huizingh knotted the set at 10. O’Keefe added two more kills, pushing her into double figures as NMU built a 19-16 lead and forced a PNW timeout. A big block from Bonnstetter extended the margin to 23-21, and Fortune’s tenth kill of the match provided the finishing touch, sealing a 25-22 win to complete the comeback.
Up Next
The Wildcats will be at Roosevelt on Saturday, September 12, with first serve set for 3 p.m. ET.
