Wildcats fly past Wheeling, WV 3-1
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The new-look Northern Michigan volleyball team opened up the 2025 season in grand fashion, defeating (RV) Wheeling University in four sets at the SpringHill Suites Invitational in the Sunshine State.
The Wildcats dropped the opening set 17-25, but once the group got into rhythm and found its identity, the Green and Gold looked like they were in midseason form, winning the following three sets 25-21, 26-24, and 25-16.
I’m very proud of the team tonight,” coach Mike Lozier said following the win. “We started slow, but they answered my call to step up.”
Junior setter Allie Barlow quarterbacked the offense with 55 assists. Barlow made things hard on Wheeling’s defense and blocking efforts, spreading the ball around and always presenting confusion on where NMU’s point of attack would come from.
Kaysie Bakke led the way with 17 kills on a .400 attack percentage, followed by McKenzie Gruner with 15 kills hitting .500, Sydney Bartels with 13 kills hitting .344, and Emilia Gulock with eight kills hitting .316.
All four matched or exceeded their previous career-best in kills. “We had players out there who have spent years being in a supporting role, and tonight they got to show what they are made of,” added Lozier.
The group of Bakke, Gruner, Bartels, and Gulock collectively put up numbers that are tough to come by in volleyball, with each of them putting up at least eight kills while hitting over .300.
For the match, the Northern offense got better in each in every set: .116, .314, .325, and .367. Overall, the attack percentage was .270 with 60 kills, a number they only exceeded once last season in four-set matches. Defensively, NMU recorded 60 digs, with Liesl Haugen’s 20 pacing the way. Bartels contributed another 13. Haugen also recorded four of Northern’s eight aces.
The Wheeling Cardinals hit .182 and racked up 45 kills, with Cami Black leading the team with 15.
How it Happened
NMU opened the season with two kills from Rayne Thompson to give them an early 3-1 lead. The Cardinals responded and were the first to 10, leading by a pair. After back-and-forth, Wheeling scored four straight to lead 18-15. From there, they rallied to the finish line to take the opening set 25-17. NMU led in kills 15-11, but nine attack errors set them back. Five ‘Cats secured a kill in the season’s first set, led by Bakke with five.
After trailing 4-1 early in the second, NMU turned a corner, going on a 6-2 run to lead 7-6. The Cardinals pushed back and tied the set at 11-11, but four straight from the Wildcats gave them its biggest lead of the set. Wheeling tied it again at 18-18, but NMU’s attack continued to impose its will with four straight to lead 23-19. A Bakke kill and a Barlow ace put the finishing touched on NMU’s first set victory of the season, 25-21. The ‘Cats hit an impressive .314 with 15 kills, with the top four each recording three or more.
In the third, Northern grabbed its first set lead at 6-5. The set was largely played within one point until NMU led 18-16. Later trailing 24-23 and facing set point, Bartels notched a kill to tie and Gruner followed with a kill to swing set point in favor of the Green and Gold. An attack error gave Northern the 26-24 victory. The third was another efficient set for the offense, hitting .325. The offense sizzled with 17 kills, with Bakke recording another five-kill set.
The Wildcats were dominant in the fourth. An early 4-0 run gave them the momentum. Wheeling rallied and tied the match at 12’s, but Northern persevered with a 5-0 run to lead 17-12. The offense went through Gruner as she put down four straight kills. NMU’s attack leader Bakke recorded the final kill in a 25-16 win.
NMU hit over .300 for the third straight set (.367). The team recorded 13 total in the fourth, with Gruner’s five leading the way to the finish line.
Up Next
The Wildcats will be right back at it tomorrow with a doubleheader, taking on Spring Hill College at 12:30 p.m. ET and Southwest Minnesota State at 8 p.m. ET.
