DETROIT -- Fresh off the annual Midwest Regional Crossover, the Wayne State University volleyball team (8-10 overall, 5-3 GLIAC) will be back home for a pair of crucial conference matches this week.  WSU will host Michigan Tech (11-7 overall, 5-3 GLIAC) on Friday at 7 p.m. before seeing Northern Michigan (13-5 overall, 7-1 GLIAC) on Saturday at 4 p.m.  The Warriors and Huskies are tied-for-fourth in the GLIAC standings while the Wildcats come in tied-for-second.

Coach's Corner
"These are important matches for the Warriors this weekend, but we are looking forward to playing two very good teams on Alumni Night and Homecoming!," said head coach Tim Koth.  "Hope to see Warrior nation out in full force for all the activities this weekend."

Last Time Out
As mentioned above, Wayne State was in Hammond, Ind. for the yearly Midwest Regional Crossover last Friday and Saturday.  The Warriors fell to No. 11 Missouri-St. Louis in straight sets on Friday morning, but bounced back nicely that night.  WSU proceeded to take down Ashland in four sets after winning the first two in fairly convincing fashion.  However, Walsh got the best of the Warriors on Saturday despite Wayne State leading two sets to one.

Scouting Michigan Tech
Michigan Tech went 2-1 at the Crossover and has won four of its last five matches in GLIAC play.  The Huskies are coached by 13th-year man and two-time GLIAC Coach of the Year (2017, 2019) Matt Jennings (217-152 overall record).  Jennings coached the Huskies to four straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2017-21 and a current streak of nine consecutive GLIAC Tournament appearances.

As a team, MTU is one of the most efficient hitting teams in the country.  Michigan Tech ranks 25th in the country in hitting percentage at .251, a number that's second only to the No. 2-ranked team in the country, Ferris State.  Individually, Huskies leading the team include Meg Raabe (231 kills), Tess Hayes (682 assists, 33 service aces), Amelia Albers (199 digs) and Kaycee Meiners (63 total blocks).

Scouting Northern Michigan
Aside from Ferris State and Grand Valley State, no GLIAC team has been hotter lately than Northern Michigan.  The Wildcats are 8-2 in their last 10 matches overall and 10-2 in their previous 12.  NMU is coached by eighth-year man and former Wayne State assistant to Koth, Mike Lozier (125-84 overall). 

Northern Michigan also strikes the ball at a fairly efficient clip of .235, 47th in the nation and fifth in the conference.  That output is fueled by a pair of players hitting .346 in McKenzie Gruner (166 kills) and Meghan Meyer (132 kills).  Individually, other Wildcats on top of the squad statistically include Jacqueline Smith (273 kills), Allie Barlow (738 assists, 34 aces), Liesl Haugen (295 digs) and Gruner above the net (35 blocks).