Huskies sweep Panthers downstate Friday

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Michigan Tech volleyball team swept Davenport Friday (Oct. 27) to avenge an early season loss to the Panthers. The Huskies won 25-18, 25-16, and 27-25 to improve to 11-12 overall and 7-5 in the GLIAC.

"That was a big win for the Huskies," Tech coach Matt Jennings said. "I'm really happy with the way we played overall and how so many parts of our game made a difference in this one. Our backcourt stepped up here tonight and gave us what we needed. We won the serve pass game, which was a big goal for us going into the match. Our blocking was clutch, our serving was strong, and we made good use of their errors.

"Our pins were solid all match long, Meg had a particularly strong match, she was pretty unstoppable those first two sets and came up clutch in the final set."

Tech went on a 12-0 run in the middle of the first set to take a commanding 18-8 lead. The Huskies hit .351 in the opening frame and Meg Raabe led with seven kills. Raabe put down a kill for setpoint and Rachel Zurek put down the winner—her third kill of the set.

The Huskies had a 7-1 run in the second to take a 19-11 lead and the teams traded points until Tech took the 2-0 lead at the break. Lindy Oujiri got hot in the second with five kills. Kaycee Meiners was a force at the net with a pair of solo blocks and a block assist.

There were seven ties and three lead changes in the third. The Panthers came back from three different five-point deficits. The home team had setpoint before Lindy Oujiri answered with a kill to extend it. Davenport had an attack error and then the Huskies turned back to the senior captain, and Oujiri delivered with the match-clinching kill as part of a five-kill set.

Meg Raabe led the Huskies with 14 kills and hit .314, while Lindy Oujiri finished with 11 kills. Tess Hayes set the offense with 36 assists. Amelia Albers (16 digs), Alayna Corwin (10 digs), and Brooke Dzwik (10 digs) were in double figures defensively.

Tech has won four of its last five and wraps up the downstate portion of the road trip at 2 p.m. Saturday at Grand Valley State. The Lakers swept the Wildcats Friday.