PREVIEW: Volleyball wraps up regular season against NMU

THIS WEEKEND'S MATCHES
• No. 21 Michigan Tech wraps up the 2021 regular season with a pair of matches against No. 19 Northern Michigan.
• The two teams will meet at 6 p.m. Friday in Houghton at the SDC Gym and 4 p.m. Saturday in Marquette at Vandament Arena.

FOX-UP & TV6 COVERAGE
• FOX-UP will broadcast both matches against the Wildcats this weekend.
• Mark Evans and Dave Ellis will call the action.

WATCH FRIDAY'S MATCH
• Visit MichiganTechHuskies.com to watch the 2021 spring home matches live and on-demand.
• Fans can watch Friday's contest for $8.

ON THE AIR
• Mix 93.5 FM will broadest Friday's match
• Fans can listen live on the radio at Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ, online at TheMix93.com or Pasty.com, or by using your favorite radio streaming app.

IN THE AVCA POLL
• Tech is ranked No. 21 in this week's AVCA Division II Coaches' Poll.
• The Huskies were ranked No. 20 last week, No. 22 on March 17, No. 23 on February 25, and received votes in the preseason poll.
• 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 split its weekend at Grand Valley State last weekend.
• The Huskies extended their winning streak to six and sweep streak to three Friday against the Lakers. Tech won 25-23, 25-20, and 25-21.
• GVSU won 3-2 Saturday winning sets one, three, and five.

NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS
• Tech is third in NCAA Division II in assists per set (14.58)
• The Huskies also rank third in kills per set (15.29)
• Tech is ninth in hitting percentage (.257)
• Laura De Marchi is second nationally in assists per set (12.68)
• Olivia Ghormley is 19th in kills per set (4.03)
• Janie Grindland is 25th in blocks per set (1.18)

GLIAC STATISTICAL RANKINGS
• Laura De Marchi leads the GLIAC in assists per set (12.68)
• Janie Grindland is second in the GLIAC in blocks per set (1.18)
• Olivia Ghormley is second in the GLIAC in kills per set (4.03)
• Megan Utlak is third in the GLIAC in digs per set (5.45)
• Morgan Radtke is fourth in the GLIAC in hitting percentage (.317)
• Janie Grindland is fifth in the GLIAC in hitting percentage (.308)
• Anna Jonynas is sixth in the GLIAC in kills per set (3.74)

GLIAC NORTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• March 22 – Olivia Ghormley
• March 15 – Olivia Ghormley

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 WILDCATS
• Northern Michigan leads the GLIAC with an 11-1 record. The lone loss was in the season opener against Ferris State.
• The Wildcats are ranked No. 19 in this week's AVCA poll with their 11-match winning streak.
• Jacqueline Smith leads NMU and the GLIAC with 4.15 kills per set. Meghan Meyer leads the GLIAC in hitting percentage (.432). Lauren Van Remortel is second in the league in assists per set (11.33).
• NMU was picked third in the North Division in the GLIAC Coaches' Poll.
• Mike Lozier in his fourth season as head coach of the Wildcats.

LAST MEETINGS
• Tech has defeated NMU in seven straight meetings with three straight sweeps in 2019.
• The Huskies took down the Wildcats twice in the regular season and to begin the GLIAC Playoffs last season.
• Tech had a pair of 3-1 wins over the Wildcats in 2018
• The last loss to NMU was September 2017.

MILESTONES MARKS
• Laura De Marchi – 4,070 assists (2nd in program history)
• Olivia Ghormley – 1,419 kills (4th in program history)
• Megan Utlak – 1,503 digs (4th in program history)
• Anna Jonynas – 1,258 digs (7th in program history)

COACH JENNINGS
• Head coach Matt Jennings is in his ninth season and has won 143 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