Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan University (NMU) volleyball team triumphed over the Roosevelt Lakers in their inaugural encounter, winning in four sets with scores of 22-25, 25-21, 25-9, and 25-23. Senior Olivia Webber delivered a notable performance with two blocks and ten kills, marking the second-best tally of her career.

"Our team pushed through some adversity today and individually worked through different things but we came together in the end and took care of business," Webber stated post-match.

McKenzie Gruner equaled her career-high with 15 kills, while Rayne Thompson also achieved double-digit kills with ten. The match began with both teams exchanging points until the Lakers secured an early lead at 9-5. Despite NMU's efforts to close the gap, Roosevelt claimed the first set at 25-22.

In the second set, NMU took an early lead thanks to contributions from Kaysie Bakke and Rayne Thompson. The Wildcats maintained their advantage despite a late surge from Roosevelt, eventually winning the set 25-21 following decisive plays by Olivia Webber and Sydney Bartels.

The third set saw NMU establish dominance early on with an ace from Allie Barlow and additional kills from McKenzie Gruner. This momentum led to a commanding victory for NMU at 25-9, marked by their best hitting percentage of .500 this season.

The final set featured a closely contested battle as both teams traded points. Key performances from Sydney Bartels, Kaysie Bakke, Rayne Thompson, and McKenzie Gruner kept NMU competitive. Tied at 23-23, a critical kill by Gruner followed by an ace from Liesl Haugen secured NMU's win at 25-23.

NMU recorded a hitting percentage of .314 compared to Roosevelt's .176. Looking ahead, NMU will participate in three matches at the Midwest Crossover Tournament in Hammond, Indiana.