Zurek leads Huskies with 14 kills
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech volleyball team picked up its second straight sweep by taking down Lake Superior State 25-18, 25-17, and 25-20 Friday at the SDC Gym. The Huskies improved to 7-5 overall and 3-2 in the GLIAC and wrap up the four-match home stand on Saturday against Saginaw Valley State.
“A 3-0 win in this league is always a good thing,” Tech coach Matt Jennings said. “They play hard and can score points in clumps. Our offense continues to look good, and the defense came around to extend rallies and make them earn their points.”
Tech used a 10-2 run late in the first set to take control. The Huskies hit .387 in the opening frame, and Meg Raabe tallied five kills. Kaycee Meiners added three kills, including the winner.
There were 10 ties and five lead changes in the second. The Lakers lead by as many as three, but Tech found its groove late with a 7-1 run and a five-point advantage at 20-15. Amelia Albers served a 4-0 run to take a 2-0 lead into the break. Rachel Zurek had the final two kills for the Huskies, putting down six in the set.
LSSU (5-8, 2-3 GLIAC) built a 15-11 lead in the third before the Huskies again came back. Five different players in the Black and Gold put down at least three kills as the offense got spread around. Meg Raabe made it setpoint before Kaycee Meiners finished off the match.
Rachel Zurek had a match-high 14 kills while hitting .522. Paige Wagner hit .533 and tallied 10 kills. Meg Raabe was also in double digits with 10 kills. Tess Hayes set the attack with 43 assists while adding eight digs.
“Rachel is only getting better. She’s such a pleasure to coach and be around,” Jennings added. “Credit to Tess with some tough sets. She puts the ball right where Rachel needs it.”
Five different Huskies registered at least eight digs with Jacqueline Yancy digging up a career-high 12 attacks. Brynn Erickson (9 digs), Brooke Dzwik (9 digs), and Amelia Albers (8 digs) also made an impact defensively.
First serve between the Huskies and Cardinals is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday. SVSU lost 3-1 on Friday at Northern Michigan.
