MARQUETTE — The Michigan Tech Huskies volleyball team battled valiantly to both force a tie breaking fifth set, and to push that fifth set beyond the normal point total, but, in the end, dropped the match at Northern Michigan Tuesday.

The Huskies forced a fifth set after dominating the fourth, but the Wildcats survived three match points to win it 20-18. The match was two hours and two minutes long and had 45 ties and 20 lead changes, making it a marathon, rather than a sprint.

“We battled our hearts out and put forth a really nice match, but unfortunately fell just short,” Huskies coach Cindy Pindral said. “Both teams were so evenly matched that it was a true back-and-forth battle. I’m proud of our team for showing up ready to play in such a big game, and we will only continue to grow from here.”

There were 12 ties and eight lead changes in the fifth set alone. The Huskies held set point leads of 14-13, 15-14, and 17-16 with Northern Michigan tying it each time. McKenzie Gruner had the final three kills for the home team to seal the win. Gruner had six kills in the fifth and 24 total in the match.

The Huskies (8-13, 5-5 GLIAC) jumped out to an early lead after taking the first, 25-23. Tied at 23, sophomore middle blocker Paige Wagner and junior right side hitter Rachel Zurek teamed up for a block followed by an attack error by the Wildcats. There were 17 ties and seven lead changes in the first, and senior outside hitter Brooke Dzwik and Zurek combined for 10 kills.

Northern Michigan (10-12, 7-3 GLIAC) closed the second set on a 9-4 run to tie the match after a 25-22 win. Junior middle blocker Tricia Kennedy had five kills for the Huskies on only seven attempts.

The Wildcats won the third in extra points, 26-24. The Huskies extended the set after fighting through three setpoints, before NMU scored to take the 2-1 lead. Zurek put down seven kills in the frame.

Tech forced the fifth, dominating with a 17-4 rally which included a 5-0 run and a 7-0 run. Freshman right side hitter Madelyn Torola put down the final point–one of her five kills in the fourth.

Zurek led the Huskies with 15 kills, while Dzwik was two kills shy of a season-high with 14 and also tallied 15 digs. Kennedy was also in double figures offensively with 12 kills and had a career-best nine blocks at the net. Freshman setter Madelynn Kreider tallied a season-best 47 assists and added 13 digs. Senior libero Julia Fledderjohn had a match-high 28 digs–her most of the season.

“Brooke had an excellent match and was a leader not only with her skill but also took over as our emotional engine at critical moments,” added Pindral. “She stepped up in big ways, and I’m proud of her for flexing her senior muscle tonight.

“Julia had a great night with some clutch digs and quality service runs. She’s so steady and has a knack for making big saves in crucial moments.”

Up next

The Huskies don’t have much time to lick their wounds from the match. Friday, they travel to face Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Opening serve is set for 7 p.m.

Saturday, the Huskies are back in action against Roosevelt in Chicago. They are set to start that match at 4 p.m.