The Huskies are facing Regis and Gannon on Friday before battling Colorado Mesa and Mines Saturday.

The Huskies are returning a ton of experience from last season, and that should help them in the early stages of the season.

“Any time we begin the season, it’s an exciting time, for sure,” said coach Matt Jennings. “(We’ve) been working hard, trying to build on a lot of what we bring back. We have a lot of great leadership on the team at the top. Kaycee (Meiners) and Alayna (Corwin) and Megan (Raabe), just great leaders, but a lot of players last year got some very valuable experience, whether they were freshmen or otherwise.

“You always hope to learn from what you’ve done in prior seasons, and I think there’s a lot to have learned. The way we finish, and the way we put it together, at times, is pretty strong.”

Michigan Tech defensive specialist Alayna Corwin digs up a ball during a match against Purdue Northwest on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, at the SDC Gym in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

Having a healthy Raabe for a full season is something that makes Jennings smile. Once she was healthy late last season, she was dominant in key matches for the Huskies.

“Megan is just such a great player, real dynamic player, all around player for us,” Jennings said. “She just touches the ball in so many different parts of our game, so she’s vital to what we do. Common sense is like, the more we have a Megan, the better we’re probably going to be. She’s become really important to our system, and a real big leader for us.

“So, (we’re) looking forward to seeing her grow from last year. I think she ended the season as one of the strongest pin hitters in the league. She works real hard for everything she does.”

As good as Raabe has been, when healthy, the Huskies are looking even deeper at the outside hitter position thanks to the return of Makena Wesol, who was injured in the first match of the season last year.

“She’s going to be so excited, that much I know,” said Jennings. “There isn’t anyone you’ll find on our team who gets more excited just to be playing. Any time you have a major injury like that, it’s an opportunity to take some stock of your approach to the game. Here’s a kid who already loves playing, plays hard, and that energy that she brings, regarding that, is huge to our team.

“That’s going to be happening right away. She’s going to be adjusting to the reality of the situation, getting back in it, and just kind of getting in volleyball shape. She’s done wonderfully with that, and made great progress. She’s about as ready as she can be going into the weekend.”

If nothing else, simply having Wesol on the floor changes the mood of the Huskies.

“Her energy is…it’s just infectious,” Jennings said. “Our team is really supportive of one another. There’s no lack of support out there for their teammates. So, Makena is certainly fun to watch, and easy to root for. Given the situation, I know she’s excited and we’ll be behind her.”

Another core strength for the Huskies will be the play of their two starting middle blockers in Meiners, a fifth-year, and sophomore Rachel Zurek.

“Kaycee is just one of the most reliable all-around middles you’re going to find at this level,” said Jennings. “(She) does it the right way, incredibly clutch, leads by example, and it just doesn’t really get frazzled. She’s a really even player, and brings a great deal of skill to the position that is important for us. She kind of anchors our team in a big picture way, but also as a middle core.

“Rachel is just explosive. We can put Rachel pretty much anywhere in the front row, and she’s going to be…her presence will be felt. She’s become more of a dynamic player, kind of expanding her range.”

While the offense has all kinds of tools for sophomore setter Tess Hayes to find with her passing, the Huskies’ team defense really struggled for a long stretch of last season as they worked to sort out a rotation that worked. Coming into this season, the back row is much more settled, in part thanks to the health of Raabe and Wesol, but also because of the growth of players like sophomore Amelia Albers, who grew into the libero role last season.

“She’s come a long way,” Jennings said. “Look, here’s a player who is very talented, very fast. (She) wants to get it done, has got it done, in a lot of ways. Putting her in the position we did last year was challenging for anyone. So, I give Amelia a lot of credit. I think she’s, hands down, our best passer, and I think that’s right there, and her defense has come a long way.”

Jennings and his staff have made some changes to how the team will approach defense this season, and he feels that will only benefit Albers in the long term.

“I think the system we’re going to try to utilize more often this year suits her skillset better, and that’s on me to kind of identify and put into place,” he said. “So I think it’s all there. She already has really taken ownership of that role, and I think that is a big step.”

CLASSIC AT MINES

The Huskies will first battle the Regis Rangers on Friday at 1 p.m. The Rangers went 23-7 last season, falling to Angelo State in the South Central Regional. The Huskies second game on Friday, at 6 p.m., will be against the Gannon Knights, who went 27-5 last season. Their season ended in the Atlantic Regional against Indiana (Pennsylvania).

On Saturday, at 2 p.m., the Huskies will face the Colorado Mesa Mavericks, who went 24-5 last season. Their season ended in regional play against Dallas Baptist. The Huskies will close the tournament with a battle at 7 p.m. against the Colorado Mines Orediggers, who went 14-12 last season. The Orediggers made the NCAA Tournament 12 straight seasons (not counting the 2020 season when there was no tournament) before the 2023 season.