David Archambeau/For the Gazette Michigan Tech right side hitter Riley Stichter attempts a kill during a match against Purdue Northwest Saturday at the SDC Gym in Houghton.

By DAVER KARNOSKY

dkarnosky@mininggazette.com

HOUGHTON — With wins over Wisconsin-Parkside on Friday and Purdue Northwest on Saturday where they did not drop a single set, the Michigan Tech Huskies volleyball team closed out the home portion of their season with a 13-10 record overall and a 7-6 record in GLIAC play.

With the two wins, the Huskies sit fifth in the conference with four matches left in the season.

HUSKIES CLOSE OUT PRIDE ON SATURDAY

With 12 kills from junior outside hitter Meg Raabe and 11 from senior middle blocker Kaycee Meiners, the Huskies defeated the Purdue Northwest Pride, 25-23, 25-15, and 25-23, Saturday afternoon at the SDC Gym.

Meiners, who was playing her final home regular season match, recorded the final kill to seal the match.

“It’s what I needed to finish out the season at home,” she said. “It was amazing, and I’m so thankful Tess (Hayes) gave it to me.”

Hayes, who finished with 36 assists on the afternoon, had set up Raabe for her 12th kill of the match with the third set tied at 23-23, and she was able to put the Huskies in position to win the match.

“I think I’ve approached this season with a lot more confidence in general,” said Raabe. “It’s my third year doing the same thing I’ve been doing, so I definitely can feel the leadership seeping in. It’s good to see that I’ve been able to stay consistent despite injury, or being this late in season. Everyone’s getting tired, but I’m glad to see where the rest of it goes here.”

The Huskies needed a strong weekend after dropping a heartbreaking match against Northern Michigan on Wednesday, so to come back with a pair of sweeps on Friday and Saturday was just what they needed.

“I don’t know if it’s more important, but it certainly was needed in the big scheme of things,” said Huskies coach Matt Jennings. “Glad we came out on point over the weekend and took care of business. I thought both games, when it was tight, we pulled through, and when we were clicking, it was clicking. Glad we came out with the win, just got to keep on going.”

Meiners was a key piece of the Huskies’ attack from early in the first set. With her team trailing 6-3, she came up with a timely kill. She followed that up with a block to pull the Huskies back within two, 13-11. She then had a key kill on the next volley and the Huskies kept battling from there until they turned a 23-23 tie into the set win.

“Kaycee’s top notch, top shelf,” said Jennings. “She’s on my all-time all star team. I don’t know how else to put it. Kaycee’s just a heck of a person. (She’s a) really good, really, really good player. Has been a great team captain for us these last two seasons.

“That she came back this year for us is something I, and the program, won’t forget. It was a gesture that means a lot to us in the program. Without her this year, it’s not the same. So. Kaycee’s one of a kind, and I’m just very grateful for everything she’s done for us.”

In the middle set, Meiners got things going early with a block and two kills to help the Huskies take a 5-3 lead. From there, the Huskies kept finding ways to score points until they jumped out to a 13-6 advantage, at which point Jennings started to sub in other seniors such as outside hitter Riley Stichter, who picked up a kill, and fifth-year right side hitter Abby Perkins, who had three kills in the set.

“There isn’t a person out there that you can root for more than Riley,” Jennings said. “I mean, she’s everything that you want in a player, and a daughter, and just a teammate. She’s going to go out and do some pretty special things.

“Abby’s got a cannon, man. I mean, she really does. I think that I was very glad to see her go off there, for sure.”

Jennings also subbed in defensive specialist Ashley L’Esperance in the third set.

“No one plays harder every day as a Husky than Ashley,” Jennings said, “so I’m glad everyone got in, and I’m glad we won for our seniors.”

The Huskies led the third set by as many as five multiple times, but the Pride came all the way back to tie it at 23-23 before Raabe and Meiners finished it off to earn the win.

HUSKIES SWEEP PARKSIDE

FRIDAY

The Huskies swept Wisconsin-Parkside on Friday. The Huskies won 27-25, 25-13, and 25-22.

“It was an important match for our team. After a game like Wednesday you want to bounce back,” Jennings said. “We were able to come back and pull out that first set and then ride that momentum into the second.”

The Huskies got down by six in the opening set and had to mount a comeback to tie it at 18. Parkside had a pair of setpoints but Rachel Zurek had a kill and then teamed up with Meiners on a block to extend the set. The duo added another block before Jacqueline Yancy put down the winner.

Tech dominated the second, hopping out to a 13-3 lead and never looking back. Raabe and Paige Wagner combined for nine kills, and the Huskies defense held Parkside to a -.023 hitting percentage.

There were seven ties and three lead changes in the third. The Huskies used a 6-2 run to take a 23-19 advantage. The Rangers didn’t go quietly with a late 4-0 rally, but Tech closed out the match with a block by Tess Hayes and Meiners and then the winning kill by Raabe.

Raabe tallied a match-high 16 kills while Wagner was also in double figures with 11. Zurek added eight kills, and Makena Wesol chipped in with five.

Tess Hayes set the attack with 36 assists and is now seven shy of 2,000 for her career. She also added 15 digs. Brynn Erickson went for a career-high with 22 digs. Amelia Albers (13 digs) and Yancy (12 digs) were also in double figures defensively.

UP NEXT

The Huskies head back on the road to face a pair of GLIAC opponents in Davenport and Ferris State this weekend.