PREVIEW: Tech hosts FSU and LSSU at SDC Gym

WEEKEND MATCHES
• Michigan Tech hosts Ferris State Friday and Lake Superior State Saturday at the SDC Gym to wrap up a four-match homestand.
• The Huskies and Bulldogs meet in a dog fight at 5 p.m. Friday. The first serve against the Lakers is at 2 p.m. Saturday.
• Tech is 6-3 overall on the season and 0-2 in the GLIAC.

ON THE RADIO
• WKMJ broadcasts select volleyball matches. Mitch Lake will call all the action from the SDC Gym.
• Both matches will be on Mix 93.5 FM and online at Pasty.net or the TuneIn app.

WATCH THE HUSKIES
• All home and GLIAC matches, will be streamed on FloSports.
• Michigan Tech fans can watch all home and conference games in volleyball, basketball, football, soccer, and hockey with one subscription.
• Cost of a GLIAC FloSports subscription is $19.99 for the month or $149.99 for the year. Discounts are available for subscribers with a .edu email address.
• FloSports is available on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
• Ferris State – The Bulldogs are 4-6 overall and 2-0 in the GLIAC. They've won four straight and opened conference play with a sweep of Parkside and a five-set win at Wayne State. Kaylee Maat ranks second in the GLIAC in assists per set at 9.92. The Bulldogs were picked fourth in the GLIAC Preseason Poll and have been to 10 straight NCAA Tournaments.
• LSSU – The Lakers are 1-9 overall and 0-2 in the GLIAC. The lone victory is a sweep over Minnesota Crookston which the Huskies also swept. LSSU opened GLIAC play with a 3-0 loss to Saginaw Valley State and a 3-1 loss to Purdue Northwest last weekend. The Lakers were picked ninth in the GLIAC Preseason Poll.

LAST WEEKEND
• The Huskies dropped a pair of matches to begin GLIAC play on home-opening weekend.
• Tech fell 3-2 to Davenport Friday. The Panthers won 26-28, 13-25, 25-15, 25-20, and 15-9.
• GVSU defeated the Huskies 3-0 Saturday. The Lakers won 25-22, 25-13, and 26-24.
• Jillian Kuizenga (2.25 k/s) led the attack on the weekend. Olivia Heidel averaged 9.2 assists per set in her first start on Saturday, and Lina Espejo-Ramirez averaged 5.2 digs per set Friday.

GLIAC STATISTICAL RANKINGS
• Janie Grindland is third in hitting percentage (.348).
• Lina Espejo-Ramirez is fourth in assists per set (9.3).
• Grace Novotny is sixth in aces per set (0.5).
• Morgan Radtke is sixth in blocks per set (0.93).
• Carissa Beyer is seventh in digs per set (3.67).
• Jillian Kuizenga ranks ninth in kills per set (2.97).

1,000 DIGS
• Grace Novotny eclipsed 1,000 digs for her career on Aug. 27 against Cal State Monterey Bay.
• She currently stands at 1,040 digs.

GLIAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• August 30 - Setter of the Week - Lina Espejo-Ramirez 

HAMPTON INN ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
• Jillian Kuizenga and Janie Grindland were named to the Hampton Inn Invitational All-Tournament Team.
• Kuizenga led Tech's offense at the tournament, averaging 3.2 kills per set while hitting .301. She added 10 blocks and nine digs. Grindland hit .470 and averaged 2 kills per set, 1.3 blocks per set, and 1.1 digs per set.

OTTER ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
• Outside hitter Jillian Kuizenga was named the MVP of Cal State Monterey Bay's Otter Invitational and was on the all-tournament team after she averaged 3.25 kills per set on the weekend while hitting .265.
• Setter Lina Espejo-Ramirez and libero Carissa Beyer were also named to the all-tournament team. Espejo-Ramirez averaged 9.58 assists per set and 2.92 digs per set. Beyer led the Huskies' defense with 3.8 digs per set.

AVCA POLL
• Michigan Tech received votes in this week's AVCA Division II Coaches Poll. The Huskies were No. 19 in the previous two polls.
• The Black and Gold were ranked No. 23 in the 2022 Preseason Poll and ended 2021 at No. 22.

PRESEASON GLIAC POLL
• In the 2022 Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Huskies were picked second in the GLIAC behind Grand Valley State.
• The Lakers had 68 points and the Huskies received 66 points. Wayne State was third with 64 points and Ferris State (62) rounded out the top four. Davenport (55), Northern Michigan (48), Saginaw Valley State, and Parkside (26) were also in the top eight. Lake Superior State and Purdue Northwester were ninth and tenth.

COACH JENNINGS
• Head coach Matt Jennings is in his 10th season and has won 177 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 four straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2017-21.
• 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.
• The 2021 spring team won a GLIAC Regular Season title for the second time in program history with the 2021 team repeating the feat in outright fashion.

COACHING PROMOTIONS
• Cindy Pindral was promoted to Assistant Head Coach in the offseason.
• Head Coach Matt Jennings was added to the NCAA Women's Volleyball National Committee and will represent the Midwest Region until September 2026.

LAST SEASON
• Tech finished the 2021 fall season with a 25-7 overall record and ranked No. 22 in the final AVCA Top 25 poll.
• The Huskies won the GLIAC Regular Season Championship for the second straight season and the third time in program history with a 14-1 conference record.
• The Black and Gold went to its fourth straight NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Midwest Regional Semifinal for the fifth time in school history.

ALL-GLIAC RETURNEES
• Carissa Beyer – Fall 2021 All-GLIAC Second Team
• Janie Grindland – Spring 2021 All-GLIAC Second Team
• Jillian Kuizenga – Two-time All-GLIAC Honorable Mention

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
• The first road GLIAC match of the season is on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at Northern Michigan.
• Tech wraps up the month on the road at Purdue Northwest (Sept. 23), Parkside (Sept. 24), and Lake Superior State (Sept. 30).