MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Davenport University women's volleyball team fell to Northern Mich. 3-1 at Vandament Arena on Saturday, with set scores of 26-24, 18-25, 23-25, 21-25. Despite the loss, Davenport's attack was highlighted by 17 kills in the third set, where they posted a hitting percentage of .326.
The first set opened with establishing the Panthers an early presence, as Kaitlin Jordan scored the first point with a kill from Ashley Arceo's assist. As the set progressed, DU seized control with a decisive 6-0 run, highlighted by two kills from Karley Pretzer and a service ace by Julia Frederick, pushing the score to 9-6. The Wildcats responded briefly, tying the score at 15-15, but Davenport countered with plays by Jordan and Livi Overbeek. The set concluded with the Panthers edging ahead through critical attack errors forced upon the Wildcats and back-to-back service aces from Arceo, securing a 26-24 victory to close the set.
Davenport began the second set with a kill by Jordan, assisted by Arceo, leveling the score early at 1-1. NMU responded with a series of points, including a service ace and a kill by McKenzie Gruner, to gain a 5-2 advantage. Despite Davenport's efforts to close the gap, including another kill and block from Jordan, the Wildcats maintained their lead, pushing the score to 16-12. Davenport attempted a comeback, capitalizing on the Wildcats' errors to narrow the margin to 22-18. However, Northern Michigan finished the set with a service ace, securing a 25-18 victory.
In the third set, Davenport opened with a kill by Maggie Juncaj. Abby Alan and Overbeek contributed kills, keeping the score close as NMU started to gain momentum. Despite a series of service errors, Davenport managed to maintain pressure with effective blocks from Jordan and Alan, leveling the score at several points. As the set progressed, Davenport's offensive efforts, highlighted by Pretzer and Amelia Werner, helped cut into the Wildcats' lead. A late rally with sequential kills from Alan and Kaitlin Jordan brought the score to a 23-23 tie. However, the Wildcats responded with back-to-back points to close the set at 25-23..
Davenport opened the fourth set with an effective defensive stand, highlighted by a block from Jordan and Arceo, which resulted in an attack error by Northern Michigan. The Panthers capitalized on multiple opponent errors to build a 5-2 advantage. Alan's service ace further extended the lead to 8-3. The Wildcats responded with a significant run, turning a 10-4 deficit into a 14-10 lead. Davenport halted the momentum with a kill by Jordan, narrowing the gap to 14-12. However, the Wildcats continued to apply pressure, stretching the lead to 20-12. DU mounted a late rally, spearheaded by a series of kills from Jordan and Alan, and a service ace by Frederick, closing the difference to 20-19. Despite this effort, the Wildcats secured the final points needed to close out the set 25-21.
Jordan stood out defensively, recording a total of six blocks across four sets for the Panthers. Alan led the offense with 14 kills and added one ace to her tally. Arceo facilitated the attack with 37 assists in the loss for DU. Hayley Carr anchored the back row, collecting 20 digs.
