Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan volleyball team faced a challenging match against Grand Valley State Lakers in the GLIAC Semifinals, ultimately falling in five sets. The scores were 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 16-25, and 14-16. With this result, Northern Michigan concluded its season with a record of 20 wins and nine losses.

During the match, the Wildcats had a promising start, leading two sets to one. However, the Lakers made a comeback in the fourth set and secured their place in the championship by winning the final set. At one point in the fifth set, NMU held a lead of 13-11 but could not maintain it as GVSU scored five of the last six points.

Key performances for NMU included Jacqueline Smith's contribution of 20 kills and 16 digs. Meghan Meyer also stood out with 15 kills on a .500 hitting percentage and added two blocks. McKenzie Gruner contributed eight kills and two blocks while Liesl Haugen recorded 21 digs. Allie Barlow provided significant support with 46 assists.

In terms of statistics, NMU hit .159 compared to GVSU's .226. The Lakers also led in total kills (67 to NMU's 61) and blocks (13 to NMU's seven).

The first two sets mirrored each other initially as both teams battled from an early tie at six points each. In the first set, GVSU managed to secure victory with consecutive kills at crucial moments. The second set saw Northern Michigan gaining an edge through decisive plays by Smith and Meyer.

NMU displayed strong momentum in the third set with a dominant start leading to their best hitting percentage of .351 for that segment. Despite their efforts, they couldn't maintain this form into the fourth set where Grand Valley took control early on.

The decisive fifth set was closely contested but ended with Grand Valley emerging victorious after securing key points towards the end.

Northern Michigan expressed gratitude towards supporters throughout their season and looks forward to returning stronger next year.