MIDLAND, Mich. -- The Wayne State University volleyball team (3-2 GLIAC) lost at Northwood (4-1 GLIAC) in three sets on Friday night. The Warriors took dropped set one (25-21), set two (25-17) and set three (25-17).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Northwood controlled the early part of the first set and led 6-2. A point from sophomore
Maddie Morrison (Flushing, Mich.) pulled WSU within three, 8-5, and the Warriors would eventually tie the game at 16-16 on a combo block by redshirt junior
Lauren VanderWal (Caledonia, Mich.) and redshirt sophomore
Halle Shell (Port Huron, Mich. / Port Huron Northern). However, the Timberwolves scored the next four points to take a 20-16 advantage. NU had an answer for every WSU point and led 23-20 on its way to taking the opening set 25-21.
WSU tied the second set at 3-3 on a kill from Morrison before taking the lead on another block from VanderWal and Shell. Back-to-back kills from Mary Gallagher pushed Northwood ahead and forced head coach
Tim Koth to use an early timeout. The home lead grew to 9-4 until the Warriors rattled off three consecutive points. NU continued to hold the momentum and led 15-9 and 18-12. The T-Wolves would take a commanding 2-0 match lead by winning the second set 25-17.
Junior
Kamryn Duffield (Romeo, Mich.) set-up VanderWal for a kill to tie the third set at 4-4 but Northwood responded and regained a 11-6 lead after a WSU attacking error. Kills from senior
Julia Malewicz (Macomb, Mich. / Utica Academy for International Studies / Henry Ford II) and freshman
Jenna Kray (Westerville, Ohio / Worthington Christian) combined with an NU error trimmed the deficit to two, 11-9. Northwood led 18-13 and 20-15 en route to winning 25-17 to complete the sweep.
LEADING THE WARRIORS
Morrison posted a season-best 11 kills, while Duffield finished with 26 assists. Sophomore
Maddy Benoit (Farmington, Mich. / Mercy) had 15 digs.
ONE BIG THING
Wayne State had nine reception errors, while Northwood only had two.
UP NEXT
Wayne State and Northwood will wrap up the weekend at 2:00 PM on Saturday.