North Michigan News

The Northern Michigan University (NMU) Wildcats volleyball team is set to face off against the Michigan Tech Huskies on Halloween night. This will be their second meeting of the season, scheduled for October 31st at 6:30 p.m. The match marks NMU's first Halloween night game since 2015, when they triumphed over Ferris State in five sets.

Earlier this season, the Wildcats defeated the Huskies in straight sets during a rivalry matchup in Houghton. Key players Jacqueline Smith and Meghan Meyer each contributed 11 kills, with Meyer achieving a hitting percentage of .429. The teams have alternated victories in their last four encounters, and NMU aims to secure consecutive wins against Michigan Tech for the first time since April 2021.

Local broadcasting of the game will be available on GRIT (WLUC 6.3, Charter 192), with commentary by Mark Evans and Dave Ellis. Fans attending are encouraged to participate in a "Green Out" by wearing Northern green apparel.

For those unable to attend, updates can be followed on X (formerly Twitter) via @NMU_Volleyball and @NMU_Wildcats accounts.

The Wildcats currently hold an overall record of 8-16 and are 5-8 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). They average 11.6 kills per set, with a team hitting percentage of .159. Jacqueline Smith has consistently recorded double-digit kills over her last ten matches and leads the GLIAC with an average of 3.74 kills per set.

On defense, Liesl Haugen ranks second in conference play with an average of 5.07 digs per set. McKenzie Gruner and Meghan Meyer rank fifth and sixth respectively for solo blocks within GLIAC matches.

Recently, NMU concluded a seven-game road trip with mixed results, including losses to Grand Valley State and Davenport despite strong performances from Smith and Evynn Layshock.

Michigan Tech enters the weekend holding a GLIAC record of 7-6 and an overall record of 11-13. Since their previous encounter with NMU this season, they have won seven out of eleven matches. Lindy Oujiri stands out as a top performer for Tech with notable kill statistics within the conference, while Kaycee Meiners leads GLIAC in blocks per set.