Michigan Tech outside hitters Anna Jonynas, left, and Olivia Ghormley rank among the top five in school history in multiple categories. The fifth-year seniors have a chance to cement their legacy in Huskies volleyball history. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — It isn’t often a college athlete can play a fifth season.

That chance is usually the result of being a redshirt freshman, or losing a season due to injury.

For a pair of Michigan Tech volleyball players, playing a fifth season is a chance to do something truly special.

Fifth-year outside hitters Anna Jonynas and Olivia Ghormley are among the best volleyball players the school has ever seen. Ghormley ranks fourth all-time in school history with 1,419 kills. She’s chasing Kristan Schuster’s school record of 1,546.

Jonynas has proven to be as effective defensively. She ranks sixth in school history in digs, fifth in service aces, and has also quietly developed her attacking game, recording 236 kills in just 15 matches in the spring 2021 season to lead the team.

Both were named to the All-GLIAC First Team.

If that was where their careers ended, both would be mostly satisfied. However, thanks to COVID, both are getting one more chance to help lead the Huskies back to the NCAA Tournament.

As exciting as that is, both are more excited simply about playing in front of the Huskies’ faithful.

“It means everything to get another chance to play another season,” Jonynas said. “Last year, we got a little taste of it. It is nice to kind of get that opportunity back, to have a full season, full team, and an opportunity to win a national championship.”

For both players, not only are they getting a chance for one more shot at the NCAA Tournament, they’re also getting one last chance to put their stamp on the Huskies’ program.

“I think it’s really a testament to the players that were here before us and who were here, even before coach, and who built this program to where it is now,” Ghormley said. “When we were freshmen, having those seniors lead us and set high expectations, that helped us to pass it down for younger girls. Now that we’re fifth-years, (we want) to continue that legacy going forward.”

Normally, athletes who get a fifth year of eligibility from the NCAA lose a season somewhere. For Jonynas and Ghormley, and their teammates, setter Laura De Marchi and defensive specialist Megan Utlak, that isn’t the case. All four have started every match they have been healthy for since they arrived on campus. However, they are all quick to acknowledge that their teammates are a big reason why they are where they are.

“We would never be able to do it without our teammates pushing us like every day and just the competitiveness that’s in the gym and training and everything,” Jonynas said. “Just the whole culture of it makes it that much more special.”

Ghormley echoes her teammate’s words.

“It is a testament to our teammates encouraging us, especially coming in as freshmen,” she said. “It’s not easy playing in front of a crowd when you’re brand new to this team and to this area. I think it also goes to show how much work is actually put in. We all put in the work every day in the gym. We’re competing with each other, we’re competing against each other, for a spot. It’s an honor, honestly, to be able to play and start all four years.”

With as deep and experienced a team as the Huskies have, on paper, the expectations are high, both outside and inside the program.

“I feel like our expectations are always set high, at least internally for us, and it should stay that way,” said Jonynas.

In the spring, the Huskies defeated the Ferris State Bulldogs, something that the program has struggled with for most of head coach Matt Jennings’ run at the helm. For the players, the victories over Ferris State gave them and their teammates a lot to look forward to heading into this season.

“I think we learned a lot about confidence,” Ghormley said. “We kind of got over that hump. We swept them in the tournament, so I think we know what it’s like to play Ferris. We’ve played them for four years now. They’re just another team. We’re not gonna play the jersey anymore.”

Jonynas, Ghormley and the Huskies are looking forward to getting the season underway.

They open against Minnesota-Duluth at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the SDC Gym as part of the Keweenaw Classic.

Over the following two days, the Huskies play three more Minnesota schools in Minnesota State and St. Cloud State on Friday before finishing up with Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday evening.