Number One Bulldogs survive in GLIAC Semifinal
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The 2024 Michigan Tech volleyball season came to an end after a valiant effort against the nation’s No. 1 ranked team, Ferris State, in the GLIAC Tournament Semifinals. The Bulldogs won 3-2 to remain unbeaten and advance to the GLIAC Championship.
The Huskies finished the campaign with a 17-12 overall record. They won the second and fourth sets but fell 15-9 in the fifth.
“Today may have been my proudest moment as a Husky,” Tech coach Matt Jennings said. “Short of pulling off that fifth set, there is literally no other way I would have preferred to end our season together. Anyone who witnessed today’s match saw our team play our hearts out and leave it all out there. For our seniors to finish with that match was a real gift. I simply will never forget today and this team. It was an emotional past few days to say the least.”
After falling 25-17 in the opening set, the Huskies responded in the second. The visitors in Black and Gold used a 6-1 run early in the frame to take the lead and then never looked back. Rachel Zurek put down five kills in the second, including the setpoint which was followed by a Bulldog error for the 25-20 win and 1-1 tie at the break.
The Bulldogs retook the lead after a dominant 25-9 win in the third, hitting .478 and forcing Tech into -.115.
The Huskies weren’t done. Trailing early in the fourth, Tech went on a 7-1 run to take an 18-15 lead. The Bulldogs tied it at 21 and again at 22, but a Rachel Zurek solo block got it to setpoint, and then she teamed up with Paige Wagner to force the fifth set.
The Bulldog Arena crowd stood on its feet for the fifth set. There were three early ties, but the home team never surrendered the lead and then finished the match on a 7-2 run to advance to Sunday’s final. Meg Raabe had three kills in the fifth and a pair of Bulldogs teamed up for eight kills.
Meg Raabe finished the match with a team-high 12 kills while Kate Loch (11) was also in double figures. Rachel Zurek tallied nine kills and four blocks, Kaycee Meiners had seven kills and four blocks, and Paige Wagner notched five kills and four blocks. Tess Hayes set the attack with 35 assists while adding 20 digs. Amelia Albers and Brynn Erickson also added a dozen digs each.
The match was the last for Tech seniors Ashley L’Esperance, Kaycee Meiners, Abbi Perkins, and Riley Stichter.
Olivia Henneman-Dallape had a match-high 23 kills for the Bulldogs. The GLIAC Player of the Year also added 11 digs. Kaylee Maat registered 54 assists while Leah Bylut and Claire Nowicki each tallied 17 digs.
Ferris State will play No. 11 Grand Valley State in the title game. The Lakers edged Northern Michigan 3-2 in the late semifinal, winning 16-14 in the fifth.
