Michigan Tech senior defensive specialist Grace Novotny (5) high-fives Laura De Marchi (11) during the Keweenaw Classic on Sept. 3, 2021, in Houghton, Mich. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — She has been a starter each of her four years at Michigan Tech, her name may not be a household one, and she is just fine with that.

Senior defensive specialist Grace Novotny has been a key part of the Huskies’ volleyball program since the day she arrived on campus. 

The 5-foot-9 Novotny has just nine career kills, something her teammate, fifth year outside hitter Anna Jonynas, just racked up in one set against the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals on Saturday.

She has just four attacks, two more than her total in 13 matches in the spring. Again, that is not why she throws on the Black and Gold day in and day out.

She knows her job is to keep the back row strong on defense alongside fifth year defensive specialist Megan Utlak, Jonynas, and sophomore defensive specialist Carissa Beyer. It is a challenge she gladly accepts.

Novotny considers herself to be part of something much bigger than her. Of course, she has stood side-by-side with Utlak and Jonynas for four years now.

“I think we just have a very solid group of upperclassmen,” she said. “We’re all very experienced. We have been playing together for a really long time now. I think we just all feel so comfortable with each other, on and off the court, that it helps us a lot in big moments and coming up with big plays.”

She is not wrong. This past Friday, the Huskies trailed in each of the third and fourth sets against the Wayne State Warriors, and all three, along with Beyer, were instrumental in helping drive the Huskies to comeback in each set to earn the match victory.

“I think that our backcourt has a really good chemistry right now,” said Huskies coach Matt Jennings. “The combination of Grace, Megan, Carissa, Anna, (fifth year setter) Laura (De Marchi), in the backcourt, in any combination at once, makes me more confident that I would be otherwise.”

For Novotny, playing alongside Utlak for every match has helped the duo grow to the point that they can anticipate what the other is going to do in a given situation.

“I think just playing together now for four years, no matter where either one of us is playing in the backcourt, we just know each other (well) enough to be able to anticipate each other’s every move, pretty much,” Novotny said. “That allows us to flow very easily in the backcourt.”

On the other side of Novotny often stands Jonynas, who is a threat both offensively and defensively at any point in a match.

“Anna is an unbelievable player, and I think that just knowing that we can get her the ball at any time we need to is very helpful,” said Novotny. “Knowing that she has an outlet for our offense, even in the backcourt, gives Laura, and if Laura passes the ball, everyone else, ease of mind knowing that we can always go to her.”

With the comfort level all three of the fifth year players have with Novotny, the Huskies defense and serve receive continue to be areas of strength for the team, which is in the midst of a six-match winning streak and has also won 10 of their last 11 overall. Adding Beyer, who is learning to take cues from Novotny and Utlak while playing the libero position, has been nearly seamless, according to Novotny.

“I think having all of us be so comfortable, who have played together for the past four years, made it a lot easier to add another person to the mix,” she said. ‘We all were able to kind of just work together to work through adding one new person. I think just being so comfortable, me, Anna and Megan, it was easy to add another person into our group.”

While she does not describe her comfort level as growth within the system that Jennings wants her to play, her coach feels that Novotny has solidified her game to the point where he has no choice but to play her every set. 

“Grace has been on the court for us in a specific defensive role now for her four seasons here,” he said. “She has managed to insert herself into our defensive game plan and system in a way that has been very efficient and effective for us. 

“She’s matured as a player over time, both defensively and in serve receive, and probably, more than anything, her kind of just calm, collected leadership; she knows what she needs to do. 

He also feels that her leadership is showing through in her fourth year with the team.

“She knows what her job is,” said Jennings. “She, I think, accepts her role, however we ask it of her. She gets it. She’s a great teammate. A kind of an underrated, maybe unsung, leader out there. A lot of people look up to Grace on the team.”

Novotny, who has averaged 2.58 digs per set throughout her career, is pleased with where her game is at during this point in her season and career.

“I am happy with my game,” she said. “I think I’m still improving every day and just working with getting our connection and our flow in the backcourt, just keep improving it with Carissa being new, and Megan playing a different position than she’s played in the past four years. I think all of us are still trying to perfect where we’re at, but we’re definitely on an upward trend.”

That confidence in her own game, and that of her teammates’ as well, shown through against the Warriors during the second half of the match.

“I think that once we do get to that point where it’s backs against the wall, and we have to (battle), we’re very good at coming together and playing for one another and wanting to win for everyone around us,” she said. “It’s definitely a team effort and a team goal that we just work for. It’s been going well.”