North Michigan News

The NMU Volleyball team is set to conclude its regular season with two matches this weekend. The Wildcats will face Lake Superior State on Friday, November 15 at 5 p.m., followed by a match against Saginaw Valley State on Saturday, November 16 at 3 p.m.

Last weekend, the Wildcats experienced mixed results. They were defeated by Ferris State in three sets but managed a comeback victory against Davenport in five sets after initially trailing 2-0. In the match against Davenport, the team achieved their second-highest dig count of the season with 89.

Earlier in the year, NMU secured victories over both Lake Superior State and Saginaw Valley State in four-set matches.

For updates on the upcoming games, fans can follow @NMU_Wildcats and @NMU_Volleyball on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter).

Head Coach Mike Lozier commented on the team's approach for the remainder of the season: "It's a matter of between now and the end of the season, how do we harness what we're capable of doing and unleash it in the best way possible."

Senior captain Jacquline Smith has been a standout player for NMU this season. She recorded 21 kills in last week's reverse sweep against Davenport, marking her sixth match with over 20 kills this season. Smith also broke NMU's all-time kills record earlier this year and ranks fourth among Division II active players with 1,826 career kills.

Sophomore Allie Barlow leads the GLIAC with 1,014 assists and boasts an attacking percentage of .403. Liesl Haugen has been consistent defensively with notable performances including a career-best 31 digs against Michigan Tech.

Lake Superior State enters Friday's match with a record of 7-18 overall and is led offensively by Gia Waters who has accumulated 180 kills this season. Defensively, Ally Lasley leads LSSU with 251 digs.

Saginaw Valley State holds a record of 6-19 overall. Sarah Veale is a key player for SVSU with both offensive and defensive contributions totaling 320 kills and 233 digs respectively.