GLIAC Semifinal decided in fifth set
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Battling the No. 11 team in the nation for a spot in the GLIAC Championship, the Northern Michigan volleyball team fell in five sets to the Grand Valley State Lakers, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 16-25, and 14-16. Northern ends its season at 20-9.
The Wildcats held a 2-1 lead heading to the fourth set, but the Lakers fought back to push the match to the pivotal fifth. NMU was oh so close, holding a 13-11 lead in the finale, but GVSU scored five of the final six points to advance to the championship.
The two five-time All-GLIAC honorees led the way for the Wildcats, with Jacqueline Smith recording 20 kills and 16 digs. Meghan Meyer followed with 15 kills on a .500 hitting percentage while also adding a pair of blocks. McKenzie Gruner contributed eight kills and two blocks, Liesl Haugen had 21 digs, and Allie Barlow added 46 assists.
NMU hit .159 to GVSU’s .226. The Lakers held the edge in kills 67-61 and blocks 13-7.
The first two sets started very similar, with GV scoring three straight after a 6-6 deadlock to lead 9-6 in each. They would also hold 13-10 and 22-19 leads in both sets. In the first, the Lakers scored the final two points on kills to win the set 25-21, but the second had a different outcome, with Northern getting the edge down the stretch on kills from Smith and Meyer to take the set in extra points, 26-24.
The Wildcats struck 13 kills from seven players in the opening set, hitting .184. Smith led the way with four kills. NMU notched 15 more kills in the second on a .174 hitting percentage, with Meyer pacing the attack with five kills in the set. The match was tied 1-1 after two.
NMU carried over its second set momentum to the third, leading 3-0. That lead would balloon to 13-7 at its largest point. The Lakers scored four straight to make it 13-11, but Meyer and Smith responded with vengeance to lead 17-12. A Kaysie Bakke kill sealed the set for the Green and Gold, 25-20. NMU hit .351, its best set of the night. Smith recorded 7 kills in the frame to lead the way on a 16-kill attack. NMU was also stout on defense, adding four blocks.
Leading two sets to one, Northern got the first point in the fourth on another block, but Grand Valley would score the next seven to suddenly command a sizable lead. NMU answered with six of eight to make it 9-7. GV had another big run in them, scoring eight of nine to hold a 19-9 edge. NMU chipped away to make it 20-15, but five of the last six went the way of the Lakers to win the set 25-16 and force a decisive fifth set.
NMU scored first in the fifth, but the Lakers led 8-4 as the teams switched sides. NMU held its ground, scoring six of the next seven to lead 10-9. A Smith kill followed by a block had the end in sight leading 13-11, but Grand Valley scored three straight to hold match point, leading 14-13. Smith answered with a kill to tie it, but the Lakers ended it with a kill and a block to move on to the championship, taking the fifth set from the Wildcats 16-14.
NMU Volleyball would like to thank all of the family, friends, and fans that supported the program throughout this season, and we look forward to seeing everyone again in 2025.
