SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State women's volleyball team will begin a five-game homestand starting with the team's home-opener on Friday, Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. against the Michigan Tech Huskies. The Lakers will wrap up the weekend with a second Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Confernce (GLIAC) match, against the Northern Michigan Wildcats on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 2:00 p.m. Both matches will take place in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium.
The Lakers will look to capitalize on home court advantage as they try to bounce back after dropping their first two GLIAC matches last weekend against Wayne State and Saginaw Valley State. Lake State would battle back to make each of the competitions competitive but fell in both matches by scores of 3-0. Junior Taylor Fleming led her squad on the weekend with 20 kills split between the two matches. Senior Halle Grulke had another milestone in her career, moving into 10th all time in Laker history with a career total of 1,317 assists, 54 of which came on the weekend. The Lakers also had strong showings on the weekend by Camdyn Odykirk, Emily Hagelthorn, Emily Kalinowski and Ally Gruber, who continued their strong seasons.
The Lakers will face two Upper Peninsula rivals in Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan. Last season, the Lakers lost four matches against these opponents. LSSU will look to turn that around this weekend, while also welcoming fans back to the Bud Cooper Gymnasium once again.
Michigan Technological University Huskies, Houghton, Mich.
The Huskies will face the Lakers with a record of 7-4 (2-1 GLIAC) thus far. Last weekend, the Huskies won against both Ferris State and Davenport, not surrendering a set in either match. The Huskies are led by 5th year Senior Anna Joystra who has a team leading 150 kills on the season. Defensively, the Huskies rely on Junior Carissa Beyer who records an average of 3.7 digs a set, totaling 148 on the season. The Huskies coach is Matt Jennings, in his ninth season in Houghton.
Northern Michigan University Wildcats, Marquette, Mich.
The Wildcats will face the Lakers after a quick roadstop in Midland to face Northwood University. As of now, the Wildcats have a record of 4-7 (1-2 GLIAC). Northern Michigan dropped both matches against Grand Valley and Davenport last week. The Wildcats would only win one set against the Panthers on Saturday. Offensively, the Wildcats are led by sophomore Jacqueline Smith who has 155 kills on the season. Smith also leads her squad with 447 total attacks. Senior Lizzy Stark has 103 digs on the year. The Wildcats are coached by Mike Lozier who is in his fifth year in the role.
Up Next
Following this weekend's matches, the Lakers will continue their home stint as they will host GLIAC opponent Northwood University on Saturday, October 2 at 2:00 p.m. in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium.
To purchase Laker volleyball tickets, click here.
For more information, visit lssulakers.com
Follow Laker Volleyball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for news, updates & more!