Wildcats have a three-match winning streak
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Northern Michigan volleyball team earned an impressive road win Friday night, defeating the Davenport Panthers 3-1 (23-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-21) for the second time this season while also handing the Panthers their first home loss of the year.
After falling in a tightly contested first set, the Wildcats dominated the final three. Northern found success stringing together points throughout the match, recording 10 runs of three or more unanswered points over the final three sets, including closing out the match with the final five points.
The service line was once again a difference-maker for the Wildcats. After recording nine aces in their last match against Lake Superior State, the Wildcats set a season high with 11, including five in the final frame. Allie Barlow and Liesl Haugen led the way with three aces apiece, while the Panthers managed just two as a team.
Northern also made its presence felt at the net, tying a season high with 10 blocks. Larsen Bonnstetter paced the Wildcats with 3.0 blocks, while Laynie Russell contributed another 2.5.
Offensively, Northern hit .226 with 47 kills. KC Fortune led the way with 13, while freshmen Russell and Anna O’Keefe each reached double figures with 10. Davenport was led by Savanah Weathers, who recorded a match-high 14 kills.
“We always talk about playing NMU volleyball and playing our game, and I think tonight we executed that throughout the whole match,” said O’Keefe. “Every player was doing their role and trusting each other. We were playing smart, stopped on defense, and trusting our system throughout long rallies. That helped us stay on them and come out on top.”
The win extended Northern’s winning streak to three matches, its longest of the season. The victory moved the Wildcats to 9-8 overall and 6-3 in the GLIAC. Davenport, which entered the match with a 7-0 home record, fell to 11-5 overall and 5-4 in conference play.
How it Happened
Northern opened the match with an early ace from Allie Barlow, who entered the contest coming off a seven-ace performance that earned her GLIAC Setter of the Week honors. Davenport responded with a 4-0 run to take a 5-2 lead, but the Wildcats worked their way back into the set behind another Barlow ace and a four-point run of their own. The teams traded points through the middle portion of the frame before kills from Anna O’Keefe and Larsen Bonstetter helped Northern take a 21-19 lead.
Davenport regained the lead late at 23-22 and held off the Wildcats to take the opening set, 25-23.
NMU answered emphatically in the second, using a four-point run sparked by an O’Keefe kill to take a 7-4 lead. The Wildcats continued to build separation, putting together another 5-0 stretch as kills from four different players helped push the advantage to 12-5. Barlow added her third ace of the set as Northern maintained control, leading 17-9 before closing in on the finish.
KC Fortune’s sixth kill of the frame gave the Wildcats set point at 24-14, and she followed with a block to seal a dominant 25-14 victory. Northern scored the final five points of the set to even the match at one set apiece.
The Wildcats’ offense continued to heat up in the third, with three consecutive kills from Laynie Russell helping Northern establish an 8-4 advantage. Fortune soon reached double-digit kills as the Wildcats led 11-5, hitting nearly .600 midway through the frame. Russell continued to make her presence felt on both sides of the net, contributing in back-to-back blocks before adding another pair of kills to help extend the lead to 18-11.
Davenport managed to trim the deficit to four, but Northern closed strong, taking four of the final five points to secure a 25-18 win. The Wildcats hit .310 in the set and added six blocks to take a 2-1 lead.
Davenport came out with renewed energy in the fourth, building an early 6-3 advantage, but Northern steadily worked its way back into contention. The Wildcats strung together three straight points to even the score at 11 before kills from O’Keefe and Fortune helped Northern edge ahead 13-12. The teams remained within reach of one another as the set progressed, with McIntosh delivering Northern’s 10th ace of the match to match the team’s season high and give the Wildcats a 20-18 lead.
Davenport briefly moved back in front with three consecutive points, but Northern responded immediately with a three-point run of its own to take a 23-21 advantage. Haugen then delivered an ace to put the Wildcats at match point, and Northern finished off the set, 25-21, to earn the four-set road victory.
Up Next
The Wildcats will be in the Motor City on Saturday, October 10, taking on the Wayne State Warriors at 4 p.m.
