Michigan Tech middle blockers Tricia Kennedy (20) and Rachel Zurek (17) attempt to block a spike attempt by Northern Michigan’s Jacqueline Smith during a match Tuesday, Oct. 26, at the SDC Gym. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — In a season that has seen a lot of parity throughout the conference, the fourth-seeded Michigan Tech Huskies volleyball team finished fourth in the GLIAC by at least splitting with nearly every opponent they faced. There was only one team that beat them twice.

That team, the fifth-seeded Northern Michigan Wildcats, will be in town Wednesday night to face the Huskies in a GLIAC quarterfinal matchup.

“(We are) super grateful for it,” said Huskies coach Matt Jennings. “You know, it also perfectly reflects, I think, the season. The (Wildcats are the) team in the GLIAC we have not yet beaten at least one time. So, it’s funny how that all plays out.”

The similarities between the two squads is almost eerie.

“Two teams that have had their ups and downs on the year, how we got to four and five is a different path,” said Jennings. “But, two teams that certainly can beat anyone at any given night as the GLIAC is kind of as a whole. Two teams that respect each other. Two coaches that get along very well and have a friendship, I think, even beyond our professional relationship here. But, we want to win this game. We feel like we had our opportunities in the first two, including the one here at home.”

The Huskies fell to the Wildcats, 3-0, on Tuesday, Sept. 26, in a match where sophomore outside hitter Meg Raabe had a team-high 13 kills. The first two sets were decided by just four points combined, 27-25 and 26-24, and the third set was where the Wildcats found a little more separation with a 25-19 win.

Outside hitter Jacqueline Smith led the way for the Wildcats with 11 kills. Middle blocker Meghan Meyer also had 11 kills.

“Given just the way they went the last two times, we’re certainly looking forward to an opportunity to get them here,” Jennings said. “We know we’ll have our hands full. Look, Jackie Smith is one of the best players in our league, able to carry her team. Meghan in the middle is one of the best middles in the conference.

“We know they have some weapons.”

In the second match on Tuesday, Oct. 31, the Huskies won the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-12, and were getting great play out of senior outside hitter Lindy Oujiri, who had nine kills in those two sets. However, she suffered an injury, and from there, the Huskies’ hopes sank as the Wildcats won the next three sets, 25-21, 25-23, and 15-4.

Smith racked up 21 kills. Meyer added 13.

Despite the fact that the Huskies know what weapons the Wildcats have, Jennings feels that his group needs to be ready for the unexpected.

“I think you’d be foolish to think that they’re not going to go to Jackie and Meghan when they have them there,” he said. “They’re two players that are proven, over four years now, that they can get it done, but it’s a full team game. The cool thing about the rivalry, and the two teams, is that we know each other really well. They know what we do, we know what they do, and trying to find that competitive edge and that advantage. I think that in terms of our defenses, I think we feel like we’re a stronger blocking team, and they may be a little bit more cohesive in the back court than we are at times.”

Jennings has a sense it could come down to the back row for his team, and how his group handles the Wildcats’ dual threats.

“I think whoever passes better certainly has an advantage in the match,” he said. “I think that’s going to be a determining factor as well, who serves and who passes better. (It’s) that simple.

“We really like our offense right now. We have, I think, one of the best setters in the conference and we have certainly two of the strongest middles in the league. Lindy and Megan have proven to be two of the more productive outsides out there. So, I mean, in terms of spread out offense, I like our side of the net. They have their weapons, too, and I think it’s up to us to neutralize them the best we can, knowing that those two are going to get theirs.”

Having Raabe closer to fully healthy has helped the Huskies a lot over the past few weeks. They have started tasking her with playing six rotations, and that seems to be helping solidify the Huskies’ back row.

“It helps with consistency,” Jennings said. “She’s playing defense every bit as well as anyone else, and her serve-receive continues to be towards our more quality passing. So, I think that helps. (It) helps with continuity, chemistry, and overall flow for both the team out there and her as a player.”

Jennings stressed that he is not asking his back row to suddenly shift into being the best back row in the conference.

“I’m not asking them to be perfect,” he said. “We just need them to come up with a couple more plays to give our offense opportunities. In the serve-receive part, just limit the errors. Our per-touch pass is fine, especially in some areas, but we just need to limit the amount of reception errors that we kind of pile up at times or compound them.”

Having Oujiri in the lineup will also be key for the Huskies. While she was not 100% last weekend, she had 14 kills against Ferris State on Friday in a 3-2 victory, and had 15 on Saturday in a 3-2 loss to Lake Superior State.

“Lindy’s a special human being and a leader on the team,” Jennings said. “So, to see her grinding it out, knowing that she’s not feeling 100%, is very meaningful for the team. There was a point in the Lake State match where kind of, almost directly, half under her breath, coming in and out, (she was) like (‘We have) this coach.’ You see her fired up right now.

“What her and Megan did at Ferris was important, too. Their overall efficiency numbers weren’t flashy by any means, but the volume, and what they were doing in the clutch, was super important. So, as we know, Lindy’s presence on the court for this team this year means a great deal. Having her out there here at the final stretch of her career is important for her and important for us.”

GAME TIME

The Huskies and the Wildcats are set for opening serve at 6 p.m. at the SDC Gym in Houghton.