MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State (LSSU) volleyball team (3-11, 2-4 GLIAC) fell to the Northern Michigan Wildcats (4-11, 3-4 GLIAC) on the road by a final score of 3-0 on Saturday.
The Wildcats got off to an early lead in the opening set, but a pair of kills from Hannah Callaway (Portage, Mich.) pushed the Lakers on a 4-1 scoring run to get back within one. NMU once again pushed ahead, but back-to-back kills from Mariana Velasque (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) kept the score close. However, despite kills from Emilee McDaniel (Manistique, Mich.) and true freshman Morgan Deming (Eaton Rapids, Mich.), the Wildcats were able to hold on to take the opening set by a score of 25-19.
It was the Lakers that took the early advantage in the second set as senior setter, and back-to-back reigning GLIAC Setter of the Week, Emily Kalinowski (South Lyon, Mich.) took matters into her own hands for a pair of points with a sneaking kill and a service ace to propel her team to a 6-1 run. The Wildcats were able to battle back, but another ace from Kalinowski kept the Lakers on top 15-13. However, Northern Michigan was able to go on scoring runs of 5-0 and 4-1 to retake the lead, and despite strong kills from McDaniel, the Wildcats managed to claim the second set by a score of 25-21.
The Wildcats raced ahead early in the third set to an 11-4 lead, but the Lakers would not go down so easily, using a 5-0 run of their own behind a pair of kills from Deming to cut the NMU lead down to two. NMU pushed ahead again, but the Lakers kept fighting back with runs of 5-1 and 3-0 to take the lead 22-21. The Wildcats would get a match point opportunity at 24-23, but the Lakers pushed back with two-straight points for a set point opportunity of their own. However, despite LSSU earning three chances to extend the match to a fourth set, the Wildcats were able to answer them all before eventually rattling off three-straight points of their own to narrowly take the set and the match by respective scores of 29-27 and 3-0.
Despite the loss, Velasque and McDaniel would each finish the match with double-digit kills with Velasque continuing to lead the conference in that category. Meanwhile, Kalinowski had a 33-assist, 11-dig double-double while also contributing three kills and three aces to the offense, and both Jordyn Haller (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) and Ally Lasley (Birch Run, Mich.) joined Kalinowski with 11 digs of their own.
The Lakers will now return home to take on the No. 21 ranked Ferris State Bulldogs inside the friendly confines of Bud Cooper Gymnasium on Sunday, Oct. 1 with the first serve scheduled for 3 p.m.