Yancy leads Huskies with 12 kills
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech volleyball team swept Roosevelt 3-0 on Friday in its home-opening match at the SDC Gym. The Huskies won 25-10, 25-20, and 25-10 to improve to 4-6 overall and 1-2 in the GLIAC.
“It was a very well-played match, and I’m proud of the team for coming out as hot as we did,” Tech coach Cindy Pindral said. “I’m glad we were able to execute our game plan even though we were tested in the second set. We stayed poised and stayed resilient to make a push in the third and close it out.”
The Huskies found themselves down four points early in the first set before dominating the backend and closing on a 21-3 run. Tricia Kennedy had four kills in the opening frame on only seven attempts. The Black and Gold hit .412 and forced the Lakers into .000.
There were six ties and a pair of lead changes in the second. Tech led by six early before Roosevelt battled back to tie it at 14. With the set tied at 19, the Huskies closed on a 6-1 run to take a 2-0 lead. Rachel Zurek had three straight kills in the rally. Paige Wagner served an ace for setpoint and a service error on the other side gave the home team the set win. Zurek finished with six kills in the second while Jacqueline Yancy added five.
Tech was dominant in the third for its third sweep of the season. Amara Beaudoin had a kill for setpoint in her first action in the Black and Gold before the Lakers had a bad set for the final point. Jacqueline Yancy had five kills in the third, and Madelyn Torola added nine on six swings.
Jacqueline Yancy was the lone player in double figures with 12 kills. Rachel Zurek (9), Madelyn Torola (7), Tricia Kennedy (6), and Paige Wagner (5) also contributed to the offense that Tess Hayes set with 35 assists. Julia Fledderjohn led the defense with a match-high 12 digs.
“Rachel was playing a new position, starting on the left side for the first time,” added Pindral. “She’s the type of player you let go and let her be an athlete. Maddy has earned her playing time every day in practice. She’s not playing like a freshman with her poise and her efficiency.”
Tech continues the weekend home stand at 2 p.m. on Saturday against Parkside. The Rangers fell 3-2 at Northern Michigan on Friday. It’s Michigan Tech Volleyball Alumni Weekend and the former Huskies in attendance will be recognized on the court between the second and third sets.
