Michigan Tech

HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech volleyball team fell 3-1 to Northern Michigan on Tuesday at the SDC Gym. The Wildcats won 25-20, 25-20, 26-28, and 25-20.
 
"It was probably one of our least consistent performances of the season," Tech coach Cindy Pindral said. "Amara had a monster of a game, but we've been struggling to figure out Northern as a team. Saturday's the final match of the season, so we need to rebound and execute what we've been practicing all season."
 
NMU scored six of the final eight points in the opening set, overcoming 10 ties and four lead changes to take a 1-0 lead. Rachel Zurek led the Huskies with six kills in the first set.
 
The second set was similar, with the visitors scoring seven of the final nine points and hitting .394 to take the 2-0 lead into the break.
 
The Wildcats held three match points in the third set, but the Huskies stayed alive. Paige Wagner had a kill on the first one. The match went to NMU on the second one but a coach's challenge overturned and NMU kill to an NMU error to extend the match. Another error by the visitors made it setpoint for the Huskies, and Wagner put down the set winner for Tech—her fifth of the set.
 
The fourth set was tied at 12 before the Wildcats slowly built a five-point lead and didn't allow the Huskies to get back into it. NMU hit .394 in the fourth to take the season series sweep of the rivalry.
 
Rachel Zurek led the Huskies with 17 kills. Paige Wagner added 13 kills and Amara Beaudoin tallied a career-best 10 kills. Madelynn Kreider set the offense with 50 assists while adding 13 digs. Keeley Nellis tallied 14 digs, including the 1,000th of her collegiate career.
 
NMU's KC Fortune had a match-high 21 kills, Allie Barlow recorded 47 assists, and Lauren Cardwell added 16 digs.
 
Tech is 13-13 overall and 8-7 in the GLIAC and wraps up the regular season on Saturday, hosting Roosevelt at 3 p.m. at the SDC Gym. Seniors Brynn Erickson, Kate Loch, Jacqueline Yancy, Amelia Albers, Rachel Zurek, and Tricia Kennedy will be recognized on the ice after the match.