The Michigan Tech Huskies volleyball team picked up two wins on the road over the weekend. The team has won three of their last four, improving to 9-5 overall and 3-4 in GLIAC.
Huskies claim a five-set win at Parkside
KENOSHA, Wisconsin — The Huskies won the last three sets to earn a 3-2 win at Parkside on Saturday. The Rangers won the first two by 25-23 and 25-19 before the Huskies rebounded at De Simone Arena by 25-18, 25-17 and 15-6.
“What an important win for this team” said coach Matt Jennings. “We needed that, not just for the rankings, but more importantly to better understand what it means to fight back in difficult circumstances and never give up.
“It was a good weekend for the Huskies and it’s another step in the right direction. We want to build on that momentum and get better from here.”
Trailing 0-2, Jennings started Makena Wesol for the third time, and she sparked the rally by picking up six kills to put the Huskies on the board. Tech never fell behind in the third, building a six-point lead and then closing on a 7-4 run. Carissa Beyer came to life on the back row with seven shots in the frame.
“Makena had an outstanding performance here today that I’m sure she will remember for a long time.” added Jennings. “She came in and gave a great performance and gave us a huge spark.”
The Huskies used the momentum to quickly build a 6-1 lead in the fourth and then extended that to nine. The offense spread, with five different huskies racking up at least two kills.
In the fifth, Tech went on an 8-0 run and led 11-2 – even after two timeouts from Parkside to try to stall the rally. Morgan Radtke had two late kills along with Makena Wesol before Janie Grindland knocked down the clincher.
“The passing got better as the game progressed, anchored by Grace, Carissa, Brooke and Meg.” Jennings said. “Our serve was a big factor in both games this weekend as well. Grace, Janie and Lina were exceptional behind the line.”
Neither team managed to get more than a three-point lead in the first game, as there were nine draws and four lead changes. Rangers finished with a 7-4 run and took the lead. Lindy Oujiri continued her quality game this week with seven kills in the first week.
Parkside (7-8, 2-5 GLIAC) never fell behind in the second set, leading by as much as 11 points. Rangers won the set, but Tech finished it off with a 12-6 run and found a spark that carried through the rest of the set to fit.
Four Huskies found double digits offensively, with Jillian Kuizenga leading the way with 14 kills. Makena Wesol had 13 kills while hitting .407, and Morgan Radtke hit .440 with 12 kills and five blocks. Lindy Oujiri also added a dozen kills.
Lina Espejo-Ramirez set a career-high 50 assists and added 14 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Carissa Beyer dug 23 balls and Brooke Dzwik added 11 digs.
Huskies sweep Indiana Pride
HAMMOND, Indiana — The Huskies swept Friday at the Purdue Northwest Fitness and Recreation Center. The Huskies won 25-15, 25-16 and 25-19.
“We came into the game energetically and confidently and played a good match tonight,” Jennings said. “I thought our pass was spot on which made a huge difference in our side out game.
“I’m proud of how the team pulled together tonight and made it happen. We want to build on that from here and work on getting better and better. Tonight was a step in the right direction.”
Tech used a 10-0 run in the first set to take the lead. Brooke Dzwik served the run and the Huskies forced the Pride to six offensive errors. The Black and Gold closed the frame with an 8-2 run, with Oujiri knocking down three kills in the run and five in the set.
The Huskies were never behind in the second and held a four-point lead for most of the set. Radtke notched five kills in the middle set, including the deciding point, and another in the 6-1 final run. Tech hit .440 in the second and Meg Raabe added three kills.
The visitors used a 9-2 run midway through the third set to take control and then, similar to the opening two sets, finished with a 7-3 run to claim their eighth win of the season achieve. Five Huskies had at least two kills in the third and Carissa Beyer tallied seven digs.
Radtke and Oujiri both finished with nine match high kills. Radtke added four blocks and three assists. Espejo-Ramirez continued the offense with 29 assists and added nine digs and five kills. Beyer (16 dice rolls) and Kate Walch (10 dice rolls) led the defense.
Next
The Huskies continue their five-game road trip next weekend at Lake Superior State (September 30) and Ferris State (October 1).
