Michigan Tech libero Julia Fledderjohn prepares to deliver a serve during a match against Davenport Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Tech University)

HOUGHTON — They have already played nine matches, but the Michigan Tech Huskies volleyball team has yet to be seen by local eyes, since they have spent the entire season on the road to this point. Despite having won only one match in their last five, the Huskies are thrilled to finally be sleeping in their own beds and actually making it to their Friday classes prior to their upcoming matches against Roosevelt and Wisconsin-Parkside on Friday and Saturday.

“On the one hand, traveling is nice because you’re isolated in your own little bubble, and you can kind of just focus on what you’re doing,” said Huskies coach Cindy Pindral. “But then, the travel wears on you, three, technically four, weekends in a row, because we scrimmaged at Northern (Michigan) that first weekend. It’s a lot.

“So, yeah, I think we’re all excited to have a little bit of extra time in our days, and the girls will actually be able to go to a Friday class for the first time this year. Things you don’t quite think about. But, I know we’re all very excited to be back. I’m excited for my son to watch us play. My mom will be in town, so just a lot of fanfare around this weekend.”

The Huskies enter this weekend 3-9 overall and 0-2 in GLIAC play after dropping a 3-1 match to No. 12 Ferris State last Friday and a 3-0 match to Davenport on Saturday.

In the match against Ferris State, the two teams battled into the 20s in every set. Junior outside hitter Jacqueline Yancy rattled off 20 kills. Junior right side hitter Rachel Zurek had 10.

Senior outside hitter Brynn Erickson was also strong, getting nine kills and added 30 digs.

The Huskies defense was strong, holding the Bulldogs’ top hitters to the kinds of numbers that should have allowed Michigan Tech to have success. However, as Pindral put it, when Ferris State needed a play, they found a way to make it.

“I think the Friday night match was an excellent match,” Pindral said. “We played very well. We had a good scouting report, and we held some of their more high caliber attackers to kind of medium performances. They’re always going to do their job, but we were able to neutralize some of the major threats in the sense that a person didn’t have 30 kills on us or anything like that. So our defense was solid.

“I thought that our serving was tough. I’ve said it a couple times, it just came down to like one or two points at the very end of sets, where there would be like a trickle ace, meaning like it takes off the tape and it just kind of falls into no man’s land. That hardly ever happens. But it happened one time, I think it was on a set point, or to give them set point, and you’re just like, ‘Oh man, we’re doing all the work,’ and then you just get there, and then just like one or two bad bounces didn’t go our way.”

Saturday, the Huskies and Panthers battled to 32-32 in the first set, but an injury caused the Huskies to reel, and they never really recovered, much to the disappointment of Pindral. Still, Yancy scored another 15 kills, while Zurek added 11.

“You hate to rely on one or two players, but with roster shifting and availability, it’s kind of coming down to that at the moment,” said Pindral. “Hopefully, we can have some more players step up. But, in the immediate, the combination of Jackie and Rachel really carried us this weekend.”

Along with the strong play of Yancy and Zurek has come the growth of freshmen Madelynn Kreider and Madelyn Torola. Both are U.P. kids, and Pindral is excited about how well they are already fitting in.

Kreider, a setter, is quickly asserting herself as a setter. She had 35 assists against Ferris State and 29 more against Davenport.

“Maddie Kreider, she is a natural leader, and she played a very, very high level of club, so her knowledge is through the roof,” Pindral said. “She gets the game so well. She listens and she applies what we’re telling her immediately. She asks really good questions, and recently, she’s been the first, if not only, person to talk in our huddles.”

Torola, a right side hitter, had eight kills against Ferris State and five against Davenport as she carves out playing time for herself.

“Maddie’s Torola is a little bit limited in that she’s really best suited for the right side, only because of the lefty factor, and that’s the position she’s been playing forever,” said Pindral. “So that is the way that we get Maddie Torola in if Rachel is also a right side.”

Torola advocated for herself, which impressed Pindral.

“I’m super proud of her for stepping up in the ways that she did,” said Pindral. “Strategically, she’s got a really nice array of shots. She can hit it line really hard. She has drop shots that are very deceptive. It looks like she’s going to swing, and then, all of a sudden, she just drops in a tip like right over the block. So, she has very good placement.

“She’s learning to read bigger blockers than she’s ever seen before. She’s learning to read that aspect of the game. I would love over time for her to get more comfortable with passing and potentially turn into a six-rotation right side.”

Scouting the Lakers

The Roosevelt Lakers are 1-9 on the season and 0-2 in GLIAC play coming off a weekend that saw them fall to Wisconsin-Parkside and Purdue Northwest.

They are led by fifth-year outside hitter Alessia Isgro, who has 68 kills. Sophomore middle blocker Lihi Zaibert has also been good. She has 62 kills.

Scouting the Rangers

The Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers are 9-0 on the season and 2-0 in GLIAC play after topping Roosevelt and Purdue Northwest last weekend.

They are led by redshirt junior Ava Irvin, who has 139 kills already this season. She also has 10 aces, making her one of five Rangers with at least 10 aces.

Junior right side hitter Sam Fisch is also over 100 kills, as she has 120 on the season.

Game times

The Huskies and Lakers do battle Friday at 5 p.m. at the SDC Gym. Saturday, the Huskies and Rangers are set for an opening serve at 2 p.m.