Michigan Tech setter Tess Hayes attempts to pass the ball during a match last season at the SDC Gym in Houghton. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Tech University)

LEBANON, Ill. — The Michigan Tech Huskies volleyball team dropped the first four sets they played in the McKendree Invitational this past weekend. They followed that up with six straight set victories to earn a pair of match wins to open their season.

Huskies sweep McKendree in weekend finale

The Huskies picked up its first sweep of the season, dispatching tournament host McKendree 3-0 Saturday afternoon. They won 25-20, 25-11, and 25-15 and have now won six straight sets.

“We were in control of this match from the first serve,” Huskies coach Cindy Pindral said. “Our serve and pass game was exceptional, and it set the tone for the match — we were in-system nearly every possession, and our setters had great location to our attackers. We were able to get a lot of people playing time, and our energy was top-notch. It was a fun way to cap off our first tournament”

The Huskies only trailed once in the match — early in the third set. The Huskies hit .315 as a team and held the Bearcats to .050. Brooke Dzwik got the first kill of the game and put down five in the first set along with Rachel Zurek.

The Huskies jumped out to a 15-1 lead in the second, and Jacqueline Yancy got going offensively with four kills on only seven attempts. The Black and Gold used a 9-2 run in the third set to take command, and Zurek put down the final four kills for the Huskies.

Yancy led a balanced attack with 10 kills and hit .391. Zurek added nine kills, while Dzwik (8) and Paige Wagner (7) also were key in the offense. Tess Hayes had 57 assists and Madelynn Kreider added 14 in her first collegiate appearance. Five different Huskies had at least five digs with Yancy leading the way with eight.

“Jackie led us in kills, digs, and took the most balls in serve receive, which she handled with a lot of poise,” added Pindral. “She plays to win and took advantage of holes in the block. Her overall ball control was a huge driver of the result today.

“Brooke continues to impress us on the outside and led us on a 13-point serving run in the second set, which included several aces.

“Madelynn Kreider got her first collegiate assists and first ace, while Maddie Torola got her first collegiate kill.”

Huskies split a pair of matches Friday in Illinois

The Huskies split a pair of matches on Friday at the McKendree Invitational to begin the 2025 campaign. The Huskies fell 3-0 in their morning match to Missouri-St. Louis, but then bounced back with a 3-1 comeback victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State.

“Overall, I’m happy with the way that we played today as our first day out,” Pindral said. “We learned a lot about ourselves and got a lot of different players in the matches.

“Our first match was a tough one against a veteran team in UMSL, but we battled hard and played relatively clean, just had some trouble scoring. In match two, we had a slow start but settled into a solid lineup by the second set and were able to roll. So many players showed up in various ways, and I’m very happy with our debut. I’m looking forward to continuing our momentum tomorrow (Saturday).”

Missouri-St. Louis 3, Michigan Tech 0

The Tritons edged the Huskies in three tight sets 25-21, 25-20, and 25-21. The match had 18 ties, including nine in the first set, and eight different lead changes.

Brynn Erickson led a balanced Tech offense with 10 kills. Zurek and Dzwik had eight kills each, while Wagner added seven and hit .700. Hayes set the offense with 27 assists, and Julia Fledderjohn had a team-high 18 digs.

St. Louis had three players with double-digit kills while hitting .324 as a team.

Michigan Tech 3, Southwestern Oklahoma State 1

The Huskies earned their first win of the season, and the first career win for Pindral, in the afternoon match. In their first-ever match up, the Huskies defeated Southwestern Oklahoma State 3-1, taking the final three sets 17-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-16.

Dzwik led the match with a career-high 16 kills while also added 12 digs. Yancy tallied 15 kills and 10 digs while Zurek added 10 kills. Hayes finished with 47 assists and nine digs. Amelia Albers and Fledderjohn combined for 22 digs.

“Julia was very good today at libero and kept us in system well,” added Pindral. “She brings so much leadership and poise to the lineup and backs it up with quality ball control and show-stopping defense.

“Brooke was solid at the outside hitter position and provided us with a lot of quality kills and consistent serve receive. She had a breakout day, and I’m excited to see her improve over the season.”

Up next

The Huskies are 2-1 after the first weekend and continue non-conference play next weekend in Minnesota at the Up North Tournament. Tech plays Minnesota-Duluth, No. 20 Barry, No. 3 St. Cloud State, and Adelphi.