Mike Lozier Head Coach | Northern Michigan University Athletics Website
Mike Lozier Head Coach | Northern Michigan University Athletics Website
The Northern Michigan volleyball team secured a four-set victory against the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals on Friday night at Vandament Arena, with set scores of 25-16, 23-25, 25-21, and 25-14. This win brings their season record to 8-4 overall and 4-1 in conference play.
Jacqueline Smith played a crucial role in the match's final set, contributing half of her match-high 16 kills. She is now just eight kills away from tying and nine shy of breaking Andrea Gommans' program record of 1,664 career kills.
Meghan Meyer contributed significantly with 13 kills and an efficient hitting percentage of .524. McKenzie Gruner added another 10 kills while hitting .500. Allie Barlow provided consistent support throughout the match with 40 assists, marking her second highest in a four-set match this season.
"I think today was a test of our grit and mentality on the court since we didn't come out exactly how we wanted," said Barlow after the victory. "We proved to ourselves that we're able to make a switch and push through when we need to, and I'm super proud of us for recognizing it and doing something about it."
The Wildcats achieved a season-high with 13 aces during the match, including five each from Meyer and Barlow. This performance marked their best on the service line since recording 15 aces last October against SVSU.
In the first set, Northern Michigan gradually built its lead before closing with a nine-point advantage at 25-16. The Cardinals countered by taking the second set after coming back late to secure it at 25-23.
Northern Michigan responded strongly in the third set despite trailing midway through. They regained control thanks to key plays from Smith and Gruner to finish at 25-21.
Smith continued her dominance early in the fourth set with four quick kills as NMU established an early lead they would not relinquish, ultimately winning decisively at 25-14 while hitting .433 for one of their best sets this season.
The Wildcats are scheduled to face UP-rival Lake Superior State next on October 5th at Vandament Arena.
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