SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State (LSSU) volleyball team (7-21, 4-13 GLIAC) fell to the Northern Michigan Wildcats (NMU) (12-16, 9-8 GLIAC) in a hard-fought four-set match on Friday.
Both teams battled early in the opening period on their way to a 6-6 tie, but the Wildcats were able to use a 3-0 scoring spurt to pull ahead. The Lakers answered with a 4-0 run to tie up the score at 11-11 with kills from Valeriya Varnakova (Ufa, Russia) and Mariana Velasque (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Both teams would then battle back and forth, but the Lakers were able to pull ahead with a 4-0 spurt with multiple kills from Varnakova. The Wildcats were able to take a slim lead and even have a set point opportunity, but back-to-back aces from Emily Kalinowski (South Lyon, Mich.) put the opening set away for the Lakers by a score of 27-25.
LSSU carried their momentum into the second set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead with multiple kills from Velasque, but after a timeout, NMU responded with an 8-0 run of their own to take the lead. The Lakers tied up the score at 10-10 after a Maggie Morris (Schoolcraft, Mich.) service ace. Both teams continued to battle as a kill from Hannah Callaway (Portage, Mich.) had the Lakers within one, but the Wildcats were able to close out the set with a 6-0 run to tie up the match at 1-1.
The Wildcats came out strong early in the third set, jumping out to a 6-3 lead, but the Lakers closed the gap with a kill from Ally Lasley (Birch Run, Mich.). After both teams continued to battle, NMU was able to pull ahead, but the Lakers responded with a 6-2 run behind kills from Velasque and Callaway to get back to within two. However, the Wildcats settled in and closed out the set to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
The Wildcats pulled ahead early in the fourth set, and despite a late 5-1 Laker rally, NMU managed to hold on to take the fourth and final set of the match to close out a 3-1 victory.
Velasque and Morris each finished with double-digit kills with 12 and 10, respectively, and Emilee McDaniel (Manistique, Mich.) and Callaway were close behind with nine each. Kalinowski finished the match with 42 assists while also notching 16 digs to complete the double-double. Meanwhile, Lasley, Jordyn Haller (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.), and Sydney Briney (St. Joseph, Mich.) also had double-digit digs with 18, 16, and 11, respectively.
The Lakers will look to keep their playoff hopes alive when they host the Michigan Tech Huskies on Saturday, Nov. 11 for Senior Day with the first serve scheduled for 3 p.m.