PREVIEW: Volleyball hits the road to Northwood

THIS WEEKEND'S MATCHES
• No. 23 Michigan Tech opens its road schedule this weekend by traveling to Northwood for a pair of GLIAC matches.
• The Huskies and Timberwolves will meet at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

HUSKIES RANKED
• Tech is ranked No. 23 in this week's AVCA Division II Coaches' Poll.
• The Huskies were the first team outside of the top 25 in the preseason poll and are 2-0 on the season.
• Tech was ranked in the Top 25 in eight polls in 2019 and climbed as high as No. 20 on November 5.

LAST TIME OUT
• Tech had back-to-back sweeps of Lake Superior State last weekend at the SDC Gym to begin the 2021 season.
• Saturday the Huskies won 25-20, 25-15, and 25-12.
• Sunday Tech defeated LSSU for the 20th straight time with scores 25-13, 25-23, and 25-10.

PRESEASON GLIAC POLL
• In the 2021 Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Huskies led the North Division with 60 points. Ferris State was eight points back while also taking a pair of first-place votes. Northern Michigan (38), Saginaw Valley State (34), Northwood (20), and Lake Superior State (12) rounded out the North.
• Ashland was the top choice in the South Division with 56 points and eight first-place votes. Grand Valley State was six points back. Wayne State (43) was third followed by Davenport (34), Parkside (21), and Purdue Northwest (12).

SCOUTING THE TIMBERWOLVES
• Northwood is 2-0 on the young season after sweeping Saginaw Valley State on Friday last week and then squeaking out a 3-2 victory over the Cardinals on Saturday.
• The Timberwolves were picked fifth in the GLIAC North Division in the coaches' poll.
• David Shumaker enters his fifth season as head coach of the Timberwolves.
• The Timberwolves were one of six GLIAC teams who received votes in the AVCA Top 25 Poll this week.

LAST MEETINGS
• Tech defeated Northwood 3-1 in both meetings last year.
• The Timberwolves took Set 1 in both matches.

MILESTONES MARKS
• Olivia Ghormley – 1,288 kills (5th in program history)
• Laura De Marchi – 3,653 assists (3rd in program history)
• Megan Utlak – 1,328 digs (5th in program history)
• Anna Jonynas – 1,142 digs (8th in program history)

COACH JENNINGS
• Head coach Matt Jennings is in his ninth season and has won 137 matches overall.
• Under Jennings, the Huskies have gone from last place in the conference to nationally ranked and consistently in the NCAA Tournament.
• Jennings has coached the Huskies to three straight NCAA tournament appearances and the program's first NCAA win since 1995.
• He was named the GLIAC Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2017 and led the team to a program-record of 10 straight wins to start the 2016 season.

LAST SEASON
The Huskies finished last season with a 24-8 overall record, winning the most matches since 1996. They went to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season and advanced with the first NCAA win since 1995.

RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
• Laura De Marchi and Olivia Ghormley were named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NCAA Division II Honorable Mention All-Americans in 2019. Both were honored by the organization for the second year in a row. Ghormley also added All-America Honorable Mention honors from the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA).
• De Marchi led the GLIAC in assists per set at 11.59 to rank seventh in the nation and sixth in program history. She also tallied 260 digs, 81 kills, 40 blocks, and 20 service aces.
• Ghormley finished third in the GLIAC in kills per set (4.03) and points per set (4.4). She tallied double-digit kills 25 times in 2019, including seven matches with 20 kills.

ALL-GLIAC RETURNEES
• Laura De Marchi – 3-time GLIAC Setter of the Year, 3-time All-GLIAC First Team
• Olivia Ghormley – 2-time GLIAC Attacker of the Year, 2-time All-GLIAC First Team
• Megan Utlak – 2-time All-GLIAC Honorable Mention

REST OF THE SCHEDULE
• Mar. 5-6 vs. Purdue Northwest
• Mar. 12-13 vs. Ferris State
• Mar. 19-20 vs. Saginaw Valley State
• Mar. 26-27 at Grand Valley State
• Apr. 2 vs. Northern Michigan
• Apr. 3 at Northern Michigan