GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Despite a career-high 13 kills from Amelia Werner and a double-double from Savanah Weathers, the Davenport University women's volleyball team fell to Northern Michigan in four sets Friday at the DU Student Center. The Panthers took the opening set, 25-23, before the Wildcats claimed the next three, 25-14, 25-18 and 25-21.
Weathers paced Davenport with 14 kills and added 14 digs and three blocks. Werner hit .345 while contributing four blocks alongside her career-best offensive performance. Hayley Carr led the defense with 20 digs, while Keira Dommer finished with a team-high 24 assists and eight digs.
Davenport nearly matched Northern Michigan in kills, finishing with 45 to the Wildcats' 47, and held a 65-60 advantage in digs. NMU, however, hit .226 compared to Davenport's .146 and finished with advantages in blocks (11-6) and service aces (11-2).
The Panthers used a late rally to take the opening set, overcoming a 21-19 deficit before winning four of the final five points. Trailing 22-21, Weathers tied the score with a kill and later added another to give Davenport a 24-22 lead. After the Wildcats fought off one set point, Karley Pretzer put away a Madison Berry assist to secure the 25-23 victory.
Davenport opened the second set with kills from Weathers and Mariya Montgomery, but Northern Michigan responded to move ahead 7-4. A Werner kill and consecutive Wildcats attack errors helped the Panthers pull within 12-8, but NMU maintained control and scored the final five points to even the match.
In the third, Northern Michigan built a 13-7 advantage before Davenport answered with three straight points, capped by a Weathers kill. The Panthers made another push later in the set, cutting the deficit to 20-16 with a second three-point run, but the Wildcats held on for a 25-18 win.
Davenport battled back from a 20-18 deficit in the fourth, using consecutive Weathers kills from Dommer to help move ahead 21-20. Northern Michigan answered with five straight points to close out the match.
The Panthers return to the DU Student Center on Saturday, Oct. 10, to host No. 1 Ferris State at 5 p.m.
