Michigan Tech’s Megan Utlak, left, talks with Laura De Marchi on Oct. 11, 2019, in Houghton, Mich.. (David Archambeau/Daily Mining Gazette)

INDIANAPOLIS — At 13-4, the Michigan Tech Huskies women’s volleyball team is in the midst of another attempt at a regular season GLIAC title.

The Huskies opened the season with three straight wins, had a seven-match winning streak recently and are 9-1 in their last 10.

The Huskies’ offense has been dominant at times, as junior outside hitters Olivia Ghormley, MacAulay Petersen and Anna Jonynas all have at least 139 kills each.

However, it is the play of their defense that makes a lot of the offense possible. Junior libero Megan Utlak is a big part of that. Through 17 matches, she has a team-high 238 digs.

“We haven’t really been struggling with it, but it’s something that we’ve definitely been getting better at each week, in and out, all the time,” Utlak said. “This past weekend was a really good example of that. Olivia was able to have 23 kills and no errors, right? In that second match, because we weren’t letting the ball on the ground and we were digging in system, Laura (De Marchi) really had any options.

“That just makes it really difficult for our opponents to to stop us. Our defense has been getting better each week, which is perfect for upcoming this weekend.”

Utlak and the Huskies are in Indianapolis this weekend for the Midwest Region Crossover. The Huskies head into the weekend having won six of their last seven sets, defeating Wayne State in three sets and Ashland in four.

“Ashland is a very strong offensive team, and for us to be able to shut them down the way we did, just speaks volumes to the way our defense was playing,” said Utlak. “Not only that, the confidence and the flow that we were able to play with in the backcourt was something that we’ve been trying for all season and it finally is really truly starting to click and that’s that’s a really great feeling for me as libero and kind of being the one who is in control of the backcourt at all times.”

For Utlak, the team’s ball control made all the difference in the Ashland match as the Huskies did not control the ball in the second set and Ashland was able to take advantage.

“Our ball control was definitely on point in the third and fourth sets against Ashland,” she said. “It starts with serve receive. Anna is money in service receive. Between the two of us, we’re just very consistent.

“Getting Laura in system, and having two or three options in the front row, really makes it hard for the block to know where the ball is going to go and for them to properly set up their defense. It definitely started with our serve receive being accurate and it was backed up by gritty defense.”

Being gritty defensively helps fuel Utlak’s game.

“My passion comes from a lot of different places, but mainly just my love for the game and just wanting to just be gritty,” she said. “What I always say to the team is playing gritty defense just doesn’t have to be perfect, because defense never really looks perfect, but it’s just it’s just about how much effort you’re willing to put in.

“It’s definitely also the way that I was coached growing up as a libero. My coaches always pushed me to take any ball that I could. It didn’t really matter if someone else could get there, but if I could get there, that ball was mine. So that’s kind of where that that grit and passion stems from.”

Utlak has the ability to chase down balls on, and off the court, that, on first glance, appear impossible to reach. When she focuses on playing that way, her game soars.

“It kind of goes along with one of my old coaches always said to me, ‘You don’t know if you don’t go, so if you don’t pursue a ball, you’ll never know if you could get there or not.

“Sometimes it seems that I’m chasing after a ball that I am nowhere close to getting, but then there’s some balls that I do, I am able to get, and that’s a diff that can be a difference maker in an a set. It gets the momentum going, and it’s a two-point spread at that point because we can get the point and stop the other team from scoring.”

Ultak shares the backcourt much of the match with Jonynas. The pair not only share the court together, but have also been roommates since they were freshmen, which has helped build a bond on the court.

“It’s definitely something very special,” Utlak said. “We’ve played in just about every single set since we were freshmen, and we’re both very comfortable with each other, we know each other’s tendencies, and how each other play. I think that’s definitely an advantage for for us even against other opposing teams who maybe try out different different players in different positions constantly. The two of us in the back row all the time essentially is kind of an anchor for our defense.”

On Ultak’s other side is sophomore Grace Novotny, who has also fit in easily with the juniors.

“Adding Grace to our defense was something that came easy it seemed,” said Utlak. “She is a consistent player. Her parents kind of told me they think I am her mentor. I love that. Grace and I are great friends, so we also get each other and we know how to communicate with each other. She shows some grit that I love to play next to.”

Utlak and her teammates play their opener of the crossover Friday at 2:30 p.m. against Drury. On Saturday, they play Cedarville at 10 a.m. and Illinois-Springfield at 4 p.m. The team’s goal, as Ultak puts it, is to go “3-0 for the first time in school history.”