Huskies volleyball keeps pace with pair of wins
Huskies sweep Lake Superior State, Purdue Northwest
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HOUGHTON -- With a pair of three-set wins over the Lake Superior State Lakers Friday and the Purdue Northwest Lions Saturday at the SDC Gym, the Michigan Tech Huskies volleyball team improved to 9-7 overall and 5-3 in the GLIAC.
With the wins, the Huskies kept pace with three other conference teams in Davenport, Saginaw Valley State, and Northern Michigan to keep the middle of the conference bunched up.
Huskies sweep Lions Saturday
Senior outside hitter Rachel Zurek posted 12 kills, but it was two other players who really shone for the Huskies as they swept the Lions Saturday. The Huskies won 25-21, 25-15, and 25-21, to earn their ninth win of the season.
"Another quality win for us," said Huskies coach Cindy Pindral. "We knew that this match was going to be really tough. Purdue Northwest is always a scrappy team. They’re high energy and they have a lot of players with the ability to go off at different moments.
"So, I’m proud of our team for stepping up when we needed to. I didn’t feel like we played our best again today, but that’s OK. We were tough when we needed to be."
Two quick kills by Zurek helped the Huskies jump out to a 3-0 lead. However, just as quickly, the Lions pushed back, taking an 8-6 lead themselves.
Sophomore setter Madelynn Kreider and freshman outside hitter Kayla Heinonen combined for some key points, and the Huskies moved ahead 10-8. The Lions refused to go away, forcing the Huskies to battle to keep their lead as the first set came to a close.
In the second set, the Huskies started to flex their depth as junior defensive specialist Madelyn Elsen, who has stepped into help fill a role due to injury, rattled off a pair of early aces to help the Huskies jump out to a 10-6 lead. Heinonen added a pair of kills, and the Huskies led 12-7.
"I’m really proud of the overall growth that she’s had in her career with her skill and her ability to play tough defense, and be really calm on serve receive," said Pindral. "She advocated for herself a few weeks ago in light of a couple injuries, and she was like, 'I’m ready to go, whenever the opportunity comes, if it comes, I’m ready to go.'
"So, I’m very glad that she’s been able to rise to her own challenge."
The Lions pushed back, and appeared to get back within three, 12-9, when Pindral challenged a call on the floor. After a lengthy review, she was proven correct. Senior defensive specialist Amelia Albers rattled off a pair of aces as part of a strong Huskies' push out of the review, and Michigan Tech led by eight, 16-8 and 18-10 relatively quickly.
"I just thought that call was for sure ours," Pindral said. "I’m very reluctant to challenge unless I absolutely know that it’s the case ... I’m glad that one worked out in our favor, and it just kind of changed the momentum a little bit."
Midway through the third set, the Huskies trailed 14-11 a couple of plays after a timeout. However, they found a spark when senior middle blocker Tricia Kennedy came up with a kill. Two plays later, she had a timely block. Sandwiched around those moments were kills by Heinonen.
The Huskies still couldn't climb all the way out of the hole, and found themselves in a timeout with the score 20-16 in favor of the Lions.
Pindral was not happy.
"(It was) a little bit of a tough love timeout," she said. "I don’t love those timeouts, but sometimes we just need a little kick in the butt."
The Huskies answered. Heinonen stepped to the service line and racked up a pair of aces along with a kill as the Huskies scored eight straight points. Two serves later, Junior middle blocker Paige Wagner knocked down the final point to seal the win.
Kreider finished with 30 assists. Junior libero Keeley Nellis had 18 digs.
Huskies sweep Lakers Friday
The Huskies swept the Lakers 3-0 Friday at the SDC Gym. The Huskies won 25-19, 25-12, and 25-20.
“It was a great team win for us tonight,” Pindral said. “Our serving and scrappy defense really set the tone tonight. Paige Wagner took it upon herself in set one to establish our offense, and Jackie Yancy was able to have a nice night with 11 kills.”
The Huskies got off to a slow start in the opening set before three straight kills by Wagner tied the match at 13. Michigan Tech closed the frame scoring five of the final six points to take the lead. Wagner put down four kills on four swings to lead the way.
The Black and Gold never trailed in the second and cruised to the 25-12 win. Seven different Huskies had a kill, led by Yancy with four.
Tech maintained a three-point cushion for most of the third and rode the hot hand of Zurek and Yancy, who each tallied five kills. Wagner put down the winning kill.
Yancy led the Huskies with a season-high 11 kills while hitting .333. Zurek and Wagner finished with eight kills. Kreider set the attack with 28 assists and led the way with 15 digs.
Elisa Rizzoli led the Lakers with 12 kills and 19 digs, while Ava Tarsi tallied 13 assists.
Milestones honored
Coach Pindral and the Huskies honored Zurek and Albers in the pregame Friday for hitting career milestones. Zurek tallied her 1,000th career kill at Northern Michigan and Albers notched her 1,000th career dig at Wayne State.
Up next
The Huskies hit the road next weekend, facing Wisconsin-Parkside Friday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, before traveling to Hammond, Indiana, Saturday to face the Lions for the second time.