PREVIEW: Huskies return home to open GLIAC schedule

WEEKEND MATCHES
• Michigan Tech returns to the SDC Gym this weekend to open GLIAC play.
• The Huskies host Grand Valley State on Friday at 7 p.m.
• Davenport travels to Houghton for a 3 p.m. match on Saturday.

WEEKEND PROMOS
• Friday is a Teacher Appreciation match with a Buy One Get One ticket promotion. The discount code is 24Teachers and can be entered at BuyHuskiesTickets.com.
• The first 150 fans to Saturday's match will be given the newest edition of the Michigan Tech spirit t-shirts.

ON THE RADIO
• J&J Broadcasting airs select volleyball matches and will carry Friday's match against Grand Valley State on Mix 93.5.
• Mitch Lake will call all the action from the SDC Gym.
• Listen on 93.5 FM or online at Pasty.net or on 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.
• FloSports provides each subscriber with access to all content and events with the purchase of a monthly or yearly subscription.
• Subscriptions are offered in two different billing packages - monthly and annual.
• Discounts are available for students enrolled at GLIAC member and associate member institutions. You must subscribe with .edu email address to be eligible.
• FloSports is available on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast.

LAST WEEKEND
• Tech went 1-3 at the Up North Tournament hosted by Minnesota Duluth last weekend.
• The Huskies fell 3-0 to No. 7 UMD on Thursday.
• The Black and Gold dropped a 3-1 match to No. 5 St. Cloud State Friday.
• The weekend wrapped up with a sweep of Southern New Hampshire and a 3-0 loss to No. 23 Central Washington.

UP NORTH ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
• Lindy Oujiri was named to the Up North All-Tournament Team after leading the Huskies with 3.62 kills per set while adding eight blocks on the weekend.

SCOUTING THE LAKERS
• GVSU is 6-0 on the season with wins over Thomas More, Malone, Colorado Christian, Tiffin, Clarion, and Ursuline. All have been in straight sets except the match against Tiffin.
• The Lakers lead the nation in hitting percentage (.379), and opponent hitting percentage (.041). They lead the GLIAC in aces per set, assists per set, blocks per set, and kills per set.
• GV went 19-13 last season with a 10-8 GLIAC record. As the No. 6 seed in the GLIAC Tournament, they advanced to the title match.
• The Lakers swept the first meeting with the Huskies last year in Houghton and the Huskies got revenge with a 3-1 win in Allendale later in the season.

SCOUTING DAVENPORT
• The Panthers are 3-5 this season with wins over East Central, Adams State, and Ursuline. DU has lost to St. Mary's, West Texas A&M, Clarion, Colorado Christian and Tiffin.
• Davenport is third in the GLIAC in aces per set (1.97) and opponent hitting percentage (.179). They also rank fourth in the conference in total assists and kills.
• DU went 22-9 last season with a 13-5 GLIAC record. They were upset by Grand Valley State in the GLIAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed.
• The Panthers won both meetings with the Huskies last season with a 3-2 win at the SDC Gym and a 3-0 sweep at Davenport.

GLIAC STATISTICAL RANKING
• Lindy Oujiri – 1st in total kills (106)
• Lindy Oujiri – 3rd in kills per set (3.53)
• Tess Hayes – 3rd in total assists (262)
• Kaycee Meiners – 3rd in total blocks (25)
• Tess Hayes – 5th in assists per set (8.73)
• Alayna Corwin – 10th in digs per set (2.93)
• Kaycee Meiners – 11th in hitting percentage (.315)

SEASON OPENING WEEKEND
• Tech went 1-3 in its season-opening weekend.
• The Huskies fell in five to Winona State in the season and home opener on Thursday.
• Tech dropped a tight 3-1 match to No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul Friday in Marquette at the UP Open.
• The Black and Gold earned the first win of the season Saturday morning with a sweep of Minnesota Crookston and wrapped up the weekend with a 3-2 loss to Hillsdale.

UP OPEN ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
• Kaycee Meiners was named to the UP Open All-Tournament Team after averaging 2.29 kills per set while hitting .410 and tallying nine blocks.

GLIAC PRESEASON GLIAC POLL
1    Ferris State - 79 (7)
2    Grand Valley State - 70 (1)
3    Northern Michigan - 67 (2)
4    Michigan Tech - 53
5    Wayne State - 51
6    Davenport - 44
7    Saginaw Valley State - 34
8    Lake Superior State - 24
9    Parkside - 18
10  Purdue Northwest – 10

NEW ASSISTANT
• Mallory Nickelson was named an Assistant Coach with Michigan Tech volleyball in February.
• Nickelson was a four-year starting libero and setter at future GLIAC member Roosevelt University and was recently an assistant coach for two seasons at UW-Stevens Point.

CAPTAINS
Senior outside hitter Lindy Oujiri, redshirt junior middle blocker Kaycee Meiners, and sophomore defensive specialist Alayna Corwin are team captains for 2023.

COACH JENNINGS
• Head coach Matt Jennings is in his 11th season with the Huskies and has won 193 matches overall.
• Jennings is on the NCAA Women's Volleyball National Committee and represents the Midwest Region.
• Under Jennings, the Huskies have gone from last place in the conference to nationally ranked and consistently in the NCAA Tournament.
• Jennings 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.

LAST SEASON
• Tech finished the 2022 season 20-10 overall record, winning 20 matches for the fifth consecutive season.
• The Huskies went 11-7 in GLIAC play and advanced to the GLIAC Tournament Semifinal for the sixth straight season.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
• Tech travels to Parkside (Sept. 22) and Purdue Northwest (Sept. 23) next weekend.
• The Huskies host Northern Michigan on Tuesday, September 26, and then continue the home stand on the weekend against Lake Superior State (Sept. 29) and Ferris State (Sept. 30).